Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia
by J.A.Phillips
Summary: An ancient realm tied to the natural elements of the world is in peril, and only five college students can save it before the evil threatening it can attack Earth. They are the Guardians of Gaia! All OCs, though references to past Rangers, characters, and locations may occur. Rated K for fantasy violence and mild language.
1. Guardians of Gaia, Awaken! Part 1

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

**For Emmybomber.**

* * *

_Long ago, there existed a hidden realm called Gaia. It was the source of a great mystical energy tied to the natural elements of the world, like fire and water and wind. It was a safe haven for peace-seeking folk, be they humans, animals, or other forms of life. However, as the realm possessed mystical energies tied to all the natural elements, there existed one that fed off evil thoughts and, over time, tried to consume all others: The element of darkness. Fortunately, there existed a group of Guardians that protected Gaia from the dark, using a powerful silver light that caused the darkness to withdraw before it. No force of evil could match it. But when the time came for the final battle, the light vanished, and the Guardians similarly disappeared into the spreading dark._

_None live in the world of humans that know of what happened to Gaia on that fateful day. However, its story was passed down as legend throughout many families. But all too often, mankind seeks to uncover the truth behind most legends. For Gaia, that day is fast approaching..._

* * *

Nikki Markson let out a sigh as she flopped back onto the grass of the open field around her. She'd pretty much worn herself completely out in her karate class, and was more than happy to lay back and relax. Feeling tranquil and tired as she was, with the wind and sun across her dark skin, she couldn't help but let her eyes slowly close, nearly drifting off to sleep.

As she was about to, though, Nikki saw the image of a red crystal in her mind's eye, shimmering brightly. From within it, a large bird seemingly made of flame suddenly appeared, which screeched at Nikki so loud, she immediately bolted straight up, panting hard.

_That's the eighth time since I moved here!_ Nikki realized, clutching her chest. _What does it mean, anyway?!_

Reaching under her red t-shirt, Nikki pulled out the thing she just saw: A red crystal, attached to a chain necklace hung from her neck. She'd been carrying it for years, after her great-aunt had given it to her as a child and told her to guard it with her life and to never take it off. But now, ever since she moved to Silver Hills to attend college, she'd been having the same image of a phoenix of some sort coming from the crystal and screeching at her. The first two times were in her sleep, but since then, they'd been happening seemingly at random. And those eyes that the phoenix had. With every time the vision happened, those eyes looked more and more like it was trying to tell her something important.

_Ugh, thank you, great-aunt Hilda,_ Nikki thought as she fell back again. _Yer need to pass down some stupid family heirloom is gonna turn me into a freak someday..._

"Hey there!" a voice cried as suddenly the face of a girl appeared up over Nikki, causing her to yelp and roll away. Looking the young woman over, she looked to be a year older than herself, with blonde hair that was streaked pink and purple. She was wearing a violet long-sleeved shirt and sky blue jeans. Her eyes were fixed on Nikki's crystal, who, upon realizing this, quickly put it away under her shirt.

"Jeez, give a girl a heart-attack!" Nikki yelled, getting up and dusting her black knee-length jeans off. "Who are you, anyway?!"

"My name's Madilyn!" the blonde replied. "More importantly, today is your lucky day! You've got some kinda weird crystal, and I'M the head of the crystallography club!"

Nikki slowly began to squirm back a bit. "Okay...How does that make this my lucky day?"

"Well, 'cuz I know that look!" Madilyn explained, her face getting uncomfortably close to Nikki's. "That look that says you've got this weird crystal that you have no idea where it came from! Well, I bet'cha I can help you figure it out!"

Nikki smiled somewhat nervously. "Thanks anyway, but I can't let you do any kinda studying or tinkering with my crystal. See, it belonged to my great-aunt Hilda, and she told me never to let anything happen to it, that it was-"

"It was super-important to never take it off and guard with your life...!" Madilyn finished, the two girls looking completely mystified for a moment, until Madilyn suddenly got the biggest smile that Nikki had ever seen on a human being's face. "Oh my gosh, **oh my gosh, _OH MY GOSH!_**"

Without warning, Madilyn immediately grabbed hold of Nikki's wrist and hauled her back to the school, Nikki yelping and cursing the whole way as this seemingly insane woman dragged her past hundreds of students that looked at them like they were completely bonkers. Eventually, Madilyn stopped at a door near the dorms, opening it with a loud "YAHOO! She's here!"

Nikki looked at the people inside, all looking surprised to see her. One was a red-haired boy in a green t-shirt, black vest, and blue jeans leaning against the windowsill and reading a book about tornadoes while listening to music. One was a brunet boy wearing an orange long-sleeved shirt and blue cut-off jeans going through a scrapbook at the table, filled with pictures of himself at a farm with presumably his family. The last was a blonde girl in a blue tank-top, jeans, and glasses about Nikki's age playing World of Warcraft on the computer at the desk in the corner. Madilyn just looked to the group ecstatically, her chest puffed out proudly as she took in a deep breath.

"Attention, everybody!" Madilyn proclaimed. "Our fifth member has arrived!"

Nikki blinded in shock. "I...Wait, what?!"

* * *

Professor Charles Snyder huffed, making his way through the dark and murky tunnels. He'd come to this island, unmarked by most maps, because of rumours that the caverns deep in the mountain atop the island held artifacts dating back thousands of years, some possibly connected to the lost realm of Gaia that he'd been studying for decades. However, it had been two weeks since his expedition team arrived, and they'd found nothing.

"Hey, Dad!" the Professor heard his son, Drayden, yell from further down the tunnel. "Come and check this out!"

Charles rolled his eyes. He had no idea why he agreed to let Drayden come along. After all, the boy SHOULD have been starting college in Angel Grove. Instead, here he was, fussing over every single find, no matter how significant or insignificant it was. Then again, he supposed, he was very similar on his first expedition, so who was he to do anything but be patient with the lad.

"What is it, Drayden?" Charles asked, reaching his son, only to have his jaw drop at the sight. "...Oh my...!"

Sure enough, erected before them, was a large statue of a dragon, facing toward a unicorn carved into the wall. It looked like it was about to engage in combat with the unicorn, but at the same time, seemed apprehensive about it. The Professor reached a hand out and dusted the statue off, examining the density of the dust now left on his hand.

"This statue must've been carved centuries ago!" Charles declared. "Possibly even whole millenia!"

"So, you think this has anything to do with the Gaia legends?" Drayden inquired, looking the statue over.

"It's entirely possible, yes!" Professor Snyder answered, his eye suddenly falling on an indigo crystal embedded in the statue. "Wait, what's this?"

* * *

"Lemme introduce everyone!" Madilyn said to Nikki, ignoring how confused the girl was and pointing to each of the room's inhabitants one by one. "Tall and Irish at the window is Patrick, farm boy is Dirk, and that's Layla, my geeky little sister."

"Hey!" Layla whined. "Just 'cuz I'm a geek and your little sister doesn't mean that HAS to be my thing when you introduce me."

"What are you even doing, playing WoW?!" Madilyn demanded, stomping over to her younger sister. "I asked you to check out those crystal findings in Santa Anna!"

Patrick rolled his eyes, closing his book and walking over to Nikki. "Um, I'm really sorry about this, miss...?"

"Nichelle Markson," Nikki replied, "but everyone just calls me Nikki."

"Right!" Dirk suddenly piped up. "I saw you in fencing class the other day, and-"

"Whatever!" Madilyn interjected as she was giving Layla a noogie. "Starting today, Nikki here is our fifth member!"

"Whoa, time out," Nikki responded. "Why am I suddenly being dragged into this group?"

"Because you've got one of these!" Madilyn answered, reaching into her shirt and pulling out a violet crystal on a necklace, very similar to Nikki's.

Layla's eyes widened. "Wait, she's got one too?!"

Nikki just stood there, dumbfounded and confused. Sure enough, one by one, the others all pulled similar crystals on necklaces out: Patrick's was green, Layla's was blue, and Dirk's was orange. At the sight of this, Nikki pulled her own red one out, the others now intrigued by this turn of events.

"Whoa!" Dirk said, amazed. "Madilyn was right: There WAS gonna be another one besides Layla!"

"See?" Madilyn exclaimed proudly. "My intuition is never wrong!"

"Wait, what's going on?" Nikki demanded.

Patrick sighed, putting his book and headset down. "Last year, Madilyn started the crystallography club after three of us all met on campus with the same story: We were each given crystals from relatives that we were told to safe-guard and didn't know what they were for. So, she decided to start the club to research them, and we knew that Layla had one and would be joining when she finished high school, but Madilyn kept insisting that there might be another member, a fifth one, to join up."

"And you guys all thought I was crazy nutso," Madilyn accused.

"Actually, that would be most of the college campus that thought you were crazy nutso," Dirk correct. "WE all thought you were just looking for an excuse to keep the club alive."

"Tch, whatever," Madilyn replied with a roll of her eyes, taking her necklace off and holding her crystal out. "The important thing is, we've got five members with five crystals, all from different places but with the same story. Now I'm SURE we can find the connection! C'mon, crystal bump!"

The other four all just looked at Madilyn like she was crazy, who just smiled at the lot of them, keeping her crystal gripped in her fist. "Don't leave me hangin'!"

Patrick pinched the bridge of his nose before removing his necklace, Dirk and Layla following suit. They all brought their fists together, their crystals gripped tightly in each. Nikki just looked at them all, still feeling a desire to up and take off. Still, she had to admit, after carrying her crystal for as long as she did, the idea of meeting others with crystals and trying to figure out where they all came from WAS enticing. So, with a little hesitance, she pulled her necklace off, crystal in her fist, and bumped it against the others'.

Before anyone could say or do anything, though, the instant their fists made connection, the crystals all lit up, and they could feel their hands kept where they were. A strong gust of wind seemed to shoot out from Patrick's, which slammed the door shut, just as currents of heat came off Nikki's, sparks shot off Madilyn's, drops of water dripped off Layla's, and the floor trembled under Dirk's feet. The five could only watch in fear at what was happening as the five crystals soon began creating a vortex of red, green, blue, orange, and violet light around them.

* * *

Suddenly, just as Drayden ran a finger across the indigo crystal in the statue, it began to sparkle, illuminating the cave. He found his hand almost magnetized to the statue, unable to leave it as the room became filled with indigo light. His father, who had been inspecting the unicorn carving, looked to his son in alarm as the cavern began to shake, quickly running over to him.

"Drayden, something's happening!" Professor Snyder yelled. "We have to get out of here!"

"I-I can't!" Drayden cried, unable to remove his hand from the statue. "I'm stuck!"

Charles looked on incredulously, but decided to try and grab Drayden's hand and pull it from the statue. Instead, however, a blast of indigo light shot out from the crystal, along with a thick, black smog that came from the statue's jaws, knocking him back against the wall. He groaned as he tried to pull himself up, but his body was becoming enveloped in the light and smoke.

"DAD!" Drayden yelled as the smog suddenly began to swirl around him too.

* * *

"What the heck's going on now?!" Nikki demanded, the red beams changing to resemble spinning streams of fire.

"I don't know!" Patrick yelled, the green energy becoming a whirlwind.

"This is getting scary!" Layla admitted, the blue light resembling a whirlpool.

"Everybody hang on to something!" Dirk suggested, the orange beams turning into a sand storm.

"GERONIMOOOOOOOOOOO!" Madilyn cried happily, the violet light becoming swirling lightning, and in one final flash of silver light, the five all disappeared from the room, crystals and all, leaving a star-shaped scorch mark on the floor in their absence.

* * *

Nikki moaned as her eyes opened, laying in the grass. She blinked as she felt the grass around her, and began to wonder if the past few minutes were some bizarre dream she had after passing out in the field. However, upon sitting up, she realized that wasn't the case at all. She wasn't at the college anymore, she was in the middle of a forest somewhere, and the grass wasn't even green, it was a rusty-looking red.

_The heck?_ Nikki wondered, getting to her feet and dusting herself off, only to notice the object on her right leg. Looking closer, she saw that it was some kind of gold and red blaster, with black straps keeping it holstered to her leg. Drawing it, she saw that the barrel resembled a bird's beak, almost like the phoenix she saw in her vision before.

_Okay, calm down,_ Nikki told herself as she felt freaked out._ Just think back: There was the crystallography club room, those people with the other crystals, and...Wait, my crystal!_

Reaching into her shirt, Nikki found that her crystal necklace was, in fact, back where it belonged. Still, while that was a relief to her, Nikki soon remembered that she'd taken it off. So, at some point between the freaky light show and waking up in the forest, someone had put her necklace back on and strapped some sort of blaster to her leg. She eyed her crystal suspiciously, only to see an image of the phoenix inside, staring back at her.

"What's happening?" Nikki demanded. "Just where the heck am I, anyway?!"

"I dunno, but I'm loving the sights so far!" a familiar voice answered. Spinning around, Nikki saw the source of it: Madilyn, who was admiring the forest around them in awe, and had a similar blaster strapped to her leg. At first, Nikki felt relieved that she was okay, but then began to feel very angry.

"You!" Nikki accused, stomping over. "You did this somehow, I KNOW you did!"

"I wish!" Madilyn countered. "This place looks amazing! And I gotta say, I love the accessories that go with it!"

"Maybe it's some kinda virtual reality simulation?" Nikki heard Layla suggest from behind a tree nearby. "Would explain the new tech we got outta nowhere. Oh hey, good to see you're up, Nikki!"

Nikki blinked. "Where are the boys?"

"They went ahead to find some way outta here," Layla explained, walking out from behind the tree to reveal that she too had a blaster holstered on her leg. "And I kept saying, 'If this IS a virtual reality simulation, then there's no way to just walk out of it', but no one ever listens to me, especially our Gung-ho leader-"

"Gung WHAT?" Madilyn interjected, looking angry.

Layla rolled her eyes. "Not even close to what I meant, sis."

Nikki groaned, listening to the two argue. However, as they did so, she couldn't help but notice the shadow casted from the tree Layla had walked out behind begin to stretch across the ground. In fact, it looked ever-so-much like a hand, even more-so when, to Nikki's astonishment, it actually came up out of the ground, looking to claw at Layla's ankle. Without even thinking, Nikki instinctively held her blaster out, aiming for the hand.

"Layla, behind you!" Nikki shouted, opening fire on the hand with energy bolts just as Layla leaped to her left. Once shot, the hand ripped clean out of the shadow, as did the rest of its body. It was bipedal, almost human-like in shape, but it was ink black, with a single red eye in the centre of its head, extremely lanky-like, and its fingers were long and pointed like claws. Despite the lack of a visible mouth, it growled at the girls as they backed away from it, Nikki keeping her blaster trained on it.

"Stay back!" Nikki yelled at the creature, who growled threateningly back at her. "Who are you?! What do you want?!"

"Nikki!" Madilyn cried, eyes fixed on something behind her. Quick as she could, Nikki swung her blaster back, catching a similar creature in the side of the head with the barrel of her blaster, and seemingly breaking the blaster in the process. The creature roared in response, but left itself open as Nikki punched it in its single eye, knocking it down and causing it to evaporate into the air.

"The heck?!" Nikki wondered aloud.

"Watch it!" Madilyn shouted, tackling Nikki down as the remaining creature actually shot its claws at her, just missing thanks to Madilyn's save. The pink and purple-streaked blonde then pulled her own blaster free and opened fire, causing the creature to scramble away.

"Thanks for the save!" Nikki said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Sorry about-"

"Ah, no biggy!" Madilyn proclaimed, getting back to her feet. "Right now, we gotta find the boys!"

"Yeah, preferably before any of THOSE things come back," Layla noted, at which point Nikki and Madilyn glanced over her shoulder. "...Running time?"

"MOVE!" Nikki screamed, causing Layla to sprint forward, just as another creature swung for her head, barely missing. The trio immediately began running as the creature, flanked by at least a dozen or so more of its kind, gave chase. Nikki and Layla stayed behind Madilyn, trusting her to know where the boys were. Sure enough, after what felt like a couple of minutes of non-stop running, Patrick and Dirk came into view. Unfortunately, they seemed to be running from their own pack of a dozen creatures, and right towards the girls.

"Darn you two!" Madilyn cursed as they all came together, the creatures forming a circle around them. "What kind of men run in fear from trouble?!"

"I didn't see YOU put up a fight, 'boss'!" Patrick noted, clutching a stick in his hands despite the blasters strapped to his and Dirk's legs.

_We all have one?_ Nikki realized. _What's the deal with these, anyway?_

Looking down at the blaster still clutched in her hand, Nikki's eyes widened as she saw that it wasn't broken at all. Rather, the barrel was bent down to reveal a compartment of some sort. In fact, looking at it now, the compartment's edges looked to be quite the familiar shape and size.

"Look out!" Dirk yelled as a creature suddenly lunged at Nikki, grabbing it from around its waist and slamming it into the ground. With this, it was suddenly on as the creatures ran in to fight the group. Patrick started swinging his stick around like a staff of some sort, clonking a few in the head, but he was quickly disarmed and knocked to the ground. Madilyn shot down a couple of creatures, but soon turned her attention to one that was swiping at Layla, getting hit in the back and knocked aside, Layla soon following. Nikki used her karate and Dirk his grappling to try to fend the rest off, but it was now effectively 2-on-24, and they were quickly knocked down with the rest.

Nikki groaned as she hit the ground, her crystal falling out of her shirt. As it lay there, she looked upon its shape. She then looked back to her blaster, and the compartment. A complete match. With that, she grabbed her crystal, pulling it free of the chain, and placed it in her blaster's compartment, closing it shut. The eyes of the phoenix head on it glowed red, and the blaster hummed as if it was coming to life.

"Guys!" Nikki yelled. "Your crystals! They go in the blasters!"

The other four blinked in surprise, at first in disbelief, but Layla quickly examined her blaster, shifting the barrel down to reveal the compartment. "She's right! But what'll happen if-"

"Who cares, let's try it!" Madilyn exclaimed, inserting her crystal into the gun and closing it shut, the eyes of the phoenix glowing violet. With a groan, Patrick, Dirk, and Layla all followed suit. Getting back to their feet, they held their blasters out, just as the creatures ran in to attack again, and opened fire. The result was a flash of red, green, blue, orange, and violet lights that knocked the creatures back before enveloping the group.

"Now what?!" Nikki demanded as her body was enveloped in red light.

"...Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!" a voice called out from nowhere as the light grew brighter. Suddenly, Nikki watched as a red costume materialized over her body, with white gloves and boots, a silver belt with a holster for her blaster and another for a red and silver short sword, a white star on the chest, and a red helmet with a black visor and silver accents to resemble a phoenix head. Looking to the others, the same was happening to them, except Patrick's was green with a hippogriff helmet, Layla's was blue with a leviathan helmet, Dirk's was orange with a behemoth helmet, and Madilyn's was violet with a thunderbird helmet. In addition, the girls all had skirts coming down to their thighs.

"...Okay, this day has officially gone into trippy territory!" Nikki exclaimed, looking her suit over.

"Are you kidding me?!" Madilyn cried, and Nikki could just tell that, under that helmet, the girl had the biggest smile on her face. "We're Power Rangers?! BEST DAY EVER!"

One of the creatures hissed and swung a claw at Madilyn as she was fangirling out, sending sparks off her suit as she spun in mid-air. However, despite being hit hard enough to knock her off of her feet, the Violet Ranger was able to take aim and shoot the creature in its eye, and land on foot and knee as the inky monster evaporated. Nikki gasped as she suddenly remembered the last one that evaporated like that: The one she'd punched in the eye.

"Go for the eyes!" Nikki yelled. "That's their weak-spot!"

"Got it!" Patrick shouted back as the group immediately split off with their own targets. Pat squared off with a trio of creatures, holstering his blaster and leaping up to grab a low branch from a nearby tree, kicking at his opponents. After catching one in the eye, the Green Ranger flipped off the branch and did a mule kick off another, sending it crashing head first into the tree. Once on the ground, he pulled his short sword and slashed at the remaining creature's legs, knocking it down before slashing it across the eye, destroying it.

"Oh wow," Patrick muttered, looking over his sword with barely contained glee. "Luck of the Irish, have you ever been kind to me today!"

"Eep!" Layla cried as she ducked and dodged around slashes from a small pack of creatures. "A little help here, guys?! I'm not really much for fighti-OOF!"

Layla groaned as she took a harsh kick to her behind, knocking her flat on her face in the dirt. The Blue Ranger's eye twitched at this, feeling incredibly angry as she drew her blaster from its holster.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to kick a lady there?!" Layla cried, immediately shooting down four creatures one by one, scoring perfect eye shots. "Especially not a lady who beats suckers on Halo for a hobby!"

Nikki cut down a creature before a flurry of nails shot forward and knocked her sword from her hand. Backed against a tree as more opponents came up to face her, the Red Ranger suddenly looked to her belt, seeing a shield-emblem emblazoned on the buckle of her belt. Feeling a natural urge take over, she pressed her thumb to it, sending out a pair of red lights that took the form of twin swords, each resembling a wisp of flame, perhaps even a phoenix's wing.

"**Heat Sabers!**" Nikki yelled, somehow immediately knowing the name of her weapons. Leaping forward, she immediately cut down a pair of foes before ducking and spinning, sending waves of heat off her blades that scorched any creatures that came her way.

"Cool, I want in on that action!" Madilyn exclaimed, ducking a slash from an opponent and pressing the shield on her buckle to unleash a pair of violet daggers shaped like feathers. "**Lightning Daggers!**"

Spinning the daggers in her hands, the Violet Ranger went to work stabbing at the opponents closest to her. She then spotted one trying to get the jump on Dirk nearby, who was blasting targets from up in a tree. With a loud cry, Madilyn threw one of her daggers at the creature, only for the dagger to suddenly turn into a thunderbolt latched onto her hand, stabbing the creature in the eye before immediately returning to her grip.

"Okay, I reiterate: BEST! DAY! EVER!" Madilyn cheered.

"**Flood Launcher!**" Layla shouted as she brought out her own weapon: A large cannon balanced on her shoulder and held in both hands, looking like a tidal wave ending in a leviathan's open jaws. As more creatures came toward her, she opened fire, sending wave-shaped blasts of energy out that leveled them all with ease. Layla's eyes widened, looking over the cannon in awe.

"...Holy cow!" the Blue Ranger commented. "I am SO keeping you!"

"**Storm Lance!**" Patrick yelled as he leaped through the air, drawing a lance with blades on the ends resembling a hippogriff's talons. With a spinning slash, he immediately brought down two creatures. The Green Ranger then gave the lance a twist, separating it into a pair of small trident-like weapons, before cutting down foes while flipping around to avoid attacks.

"Yo Patrick, watch out!" Dirk shouted as he leaped off the tree he was perched in, bringing out a two-handed battle-ax resembling a behemoth's head. "**Quake Ax!**"

Patrick immediately put his lance together and vaulted off the ground as the Orange Ranger brought his ax down, cleaving through the earth and sending a small tremor through the ground that knocked the creatures off their feet. Pat's jaw nearly dropped straight through his helmet at the sight of this once he landed back down on his feet.

"...Um, overkill much?" the Green Ranger asked.

"Yeah, you worry about finesse in a fight, I'll just knock the suckers down," Dirk replied with a smirk.

Patrick rolled his eyes at Dirk as the last eight creatures were all knocked into a group. Nikki, Layla, and Madilyn all joined up with the boys, just as Layla noticed the hilt of her short sword had a hidden compartment on it. Sure enough, the compartment was shaped like their crystals.

"Wonder what happens when we use these?" the Blue Ranger inquired. Deciding to find out, the group all took their crystals out of their blasters and placed them in the swords, causing the blades to glow in their own respective colors. The creatures all roared at the Rangers, charging them, only to receive a series of elemental slashes for their attempt, destroying them all.

"Whoo-hoo!" Madilyn cheered, leaping up and down. "That was AWESOME!"

"That was really violent!" Layla commented, putting her sword away shakily. "I'm starting to think this isn't a computer simulation."

"Gosh, what made you think that?" Patrick asked.

"Guys, we need to figure out what's going on, like right now," Nikki reminded the group.

"Well, if I had to guess, we got teleported to some weird world, and our crystals and blasters are actually morphers of some kind," Dirk surmised, causing everyone to look at him with slumped shoulders. "...Oh, you meant we need to find out how this all happened and how to get home, huh?"

"C'mon, you guys!" Madilyn whined. "Am I really the only one that wants to stick around for a bit longer?"

"And you would be the foolish one, then."

The group all spun around, facing the source of the voice. The figure standing before them was a skinny-looking fellow in a chain-mail top and black jeans. He had grey skin, almost like stone, long raven locks flowing over one side of his face, and amber eyes peering out from under his hair. He was holding a long black staff with a wyvern head at the top holding an amber jewel in its beak. He was smirking at the group menacingly, despite his somewhat smaller stature and being outnumbered.

"After all, Gaia is a dangerous place these days," the stranger went on, gripping his staff in his right hand. "The Blots are just about everywhere, and they'll attack anything that moves and isn't their own, especially if someone were to send for them."

"Why do I get the feeling that someone would be you?" Pat accused, keeping his sword drawn.

"Tch," the stranger replied, giving a small bow. "Guilty as charged, I'm afraid. Name's Walker, a Shadowmancer."

Nikki blinked. "Shadowmancer? What's that?"

Walker grinned wider still. "It means that I'm able to warp shadows, like the ones the Blots come from, to create bigger, stronger creations."

Suddenly, the Rangers heard a loud thud further down the forest, the ground shaking in its wake as Walker stepped slowly to his left. "Oh my, I believe that's one of them now."

Nikki felt a certain sense of dread as she and the others looked straight ahead. After a few moments, the source of the stomping made itself known: A massive creature, or Blot as Walker called it, several stories tall, tearing up the trees as it marched along toward them. Walker gave a small giggle as he vanished into a column of black smoke, leaving the Rangers to their fate.

"...Okay, I KINDA wanna go home now," Madilyn admitted.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** So, do a quick recap on each of the Rangers and what we know about them so far. Nikki Markson is the Red Ranger, specializing in Fire attacks with a Phoenix motif. She's African-American, of which there were three canon Red Rangers, and there were two canon female Red Rangers, but never both. She's into martial arts, specifically karate, and is also interested in fencing. Her personal weapons are the Heat Sabers, a pair of swords resembling Phoenix wings while also resembling wisps of flame.

Patrick O'Donnell is the Green Ranger, specializing in Wind attacks with a Hippogriff motif. He's a redhead of Irish decent, oftentimes relying on the Luck of the Irish in situations, has studied parkour and fencing, and is fascinated by meteorology. His personal weapon is the Storm Lance, a lance with three points at each end resembling a Hippogriff's talons, that can be separated into two smaller weapons.

Layla Bluestone is the Blue Ranger, specializing in Water attacks with a Leviathan motif. She's Madilyn's blonde younger sister, and a self-described computer geek with a love of gaming and technology, initially thinking Gaia might be some sort of virtual reality simulation, then growing fascinated by the team's equipment. Her personal weapon is the Flood Launcher, a large blaster resembling a tidal wave ending in a Leviathan's mouth, that's supported with both arms to deal with the recoil.

Dirk Slater is the Orange Ranger, specializing in Earth attacks with a Behemoth motif. He's a brunet from a family of farmers, and thus grew up surrounded by animals. As such, he's the member of the team with the biggest connection to nature. He also has a history in high school wrestling. His personal weapon is the Quake Ax, a large battle-ax resembling a Behemoth's head and horns, which can cleave through steel and stone with ease.

Madilyn Bluestone is the Violet Ranger, specializing in Thunder attacks with a Thunderbird motif. She's a blonde with pink and purple streaks in her hair, and is Layla's older sister. She's also the one who started the crystallography club the others all joined, and at times can get over-excited and break personal boundaries in her excitement. Her personal weapons are the Lightning Daggers, a pair of feather-like daggers that come packed with a large amount of voltage, blasting foes down with bursts of electricity.

Anyway, next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, the Rangers have to figure out how to awaken the full extent of their powers to summon their new Gaia Zords, beat Walker's monsters, and hopefully find a way home. Ja né!


	2. Guardians of Gaia, Awaken! Part 2

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

_According to legend, the Guardians of Gaia had companions with which to fight the more menacing dangers that emerged from the darkness. They were known as the Gaia Zords: Colossal creatures that existed as a balance between nature and Gaian technology. If called upon, there was nothing they and the Guardians couldn't achieve while working together. Still, that raises a question: If the Gaia Zords and the Guardians were so powerful that no foe could defeat them, then why did they disappear in the face of the looming evil?_

* * *

Nikki looked the situation over. On the one hand, she and her new friends were now Power Rangers, a five person fighting force that a military couldn't keep up with. On the other hand, there was a giant ink-like monstrosity, or Blot as it was called, stomping towards them, tearing up the forest around them as it went along. They could try to run, but something that big, with legs as long as it had, would eventually catch them, meaning they only had one option.

"Let's try to hit it with everything we've got!" the Red Ranger suggested, Heat Sabers in hand.

"Are you NUTS?!" Layla demanded, despite getting her Flood Launcher ready anyway. "That thing could probably destroy us in one hit!"

"No, she's right," Patrick said, gripping his Storm Lance. "That thing'll just pick us off one at a time if we run. Better to try our luck as a group."

Madilyn nodded, pulling her Lightning Daggers. "I'm in. Let's take this sucker down!"

"Well, I'm not gonna be the odd one out!" Dirk exclaimed, his Quake Ax held in both hands.

The team just looked to each other, giving a quick nod, before charging forward. Leaping at the creature's knees, or what they guessed were its knees, Nikki and Patrick slashed across the left, while Madilyn and Dirk took the right, and Layla blasted both hard. This caused the giant Blot to stumble back a bit as the Rangers all landed on the ground, drawing their blasters. Placing their crystals back in, the group held down the triggers, preparing a charged-up shot, and released, sending an array of fire, wind, water, earth, and lightning-based blasts into the Blot's chest, knocking it down hard and shaking the ground.

"YEAH!" Madilyn cheered, looking to the rest of the team. "THAT'S what we think of giant monsters!"

"Uh, sis?" Layla muttered. "Celebrated a little too soon!"

The Violet Ranger turned back to face the Blot. Sure enough, it was getting back to its feet, and despite only having a single eye to work with for its whole face, it looked sincerely angered. In fact, the eye seemed to be glowing, like it was charging up.

"HIT THE DIRT!" Dirk yelled as a massive red beam shot out, blowing down the trees around the team as they managed to avoid the blast. They just managed to get back to their feet as the Blot raised a foot up over Patrick, who had found himself pinned under a tree in the mess.

"Aw man, bad time for the Luck of the Irish to fail!" Pat moaned, trying desperately to pry himself free.

"NO!" Nikki screamed, leaping as hard as she could at the Blot. Somehow managing to land on the creature's shoulder, surprising herself at how much leaping power the crystal provided her, she blasted relentlessly into the Blot's eye, causing it to stumble away from Patrick while roaring in pain.

"Of course!" Layla observed as she and the others lifted the tree off Patrick. "Even at giant size, the Blot still has the same weak-point!"

"Then I think it's time we wiped this guy out!" Pat declared, spotting a tree laying cross-ways over another. "Dirk! Alley-oop?"

The Orange Ranger nodded, patting the blunt end of his ax, all the while Nikki was still wildly trying to avoid the Blot's claws. "You got it!"

With that, Patrick leaped over onto one side of the top tree, causing the other side to point up. Once that was done, Dirk ran over and, with a huge swing, whacked the side pointed up back down to the ground, launching the Green Ranger into the air. As Pat neared the Blot, he let out a yell and stabbed his Storm Lance forward, nailing the creature in the eye and causing it to fall back a little. Planting his feet down, Patrick then ran across the head and upper torso of the Blot, dragging his lance along the way and cutting a glowing green slash down its front. Finally, he leaped off the colossal creature's chest, as Nikki did its shoulder, both rolling across the ground as the Blot exploded into black smoke.

"Okay, not gonna lie, that was pretty awesome!" Nikki commented between pants, her suit powering down as she extended a fist for Patrick.

The Green Ranger laughed weakly, likewise returning to his civilian clothes and giving Nikki a fist bump. "Yeah, just don't ask me to do it again."

"That was SWEET, you guys!" Madilyn shouted as the others ran over to join the two, all of them demorphing.

"I didn't think it was statistically possible to beat that thing!" Layla admitted as she and Dirk helped Nikki and Patrick back to their feet.

Dirk smirked at this. "And I didn't think it was statistically possible for you to admit the statistics came up on the wrong side."

Layla just grinned right back. "Well, I suppose it had to happen sooner or later, statis-"

"Uh, guys?" Nikki interrupted, looking gravely over their shoulders.

The group all turned to face where Nikki was, their blood turning cold at the sight: Within moments, more and more Blots were beginning to appear, some giant-sized like the one they'd just barely managed to take down. Soon enough, Blots were forming behind them as well, and then all around, trapping them in the middle of their circle.

"Aaaaaaaannnnnd now we're gonna die," Dirk muttered.

Just as the Blots began to make their way menacingly toward them, however, the five suddenly found themselves standing in a circle of silver light. It then launched a beam of energy straight up around the team, causing them to glow their Ranger colours, before they turned into beams of light that similarly shot up into the sky and off toward some unseen location.

* * *

Walker frowned in annoyance at the image being shown to him in the black flames of the fireplace before him. Just when it looked like he'd gathered enough darkness to obliterate the humans, they went and pulled a vanishing act on him. He gripped his staff in anger as he cursed the Blots for not attacking as soon as they formed, thus giving them the chance to escape.

"I wouldn't go blaming them, Walker..."

Walker gritted his teeth as he turned to face the figure that had entered the darkly lit chamber: A tall woman with the same grey skin, raven hair, and amber eyes as him, but wearing black and red demonic-looking armor. "After all, you're the one who summoned them. If you want them to do the job right, you have to be specific with your commands."

"Tch, go away, Darkea!" Walker commanded. "This room's MY sanctuary, not yours!"

"Is that really any way to treat family, Walker?" Darkea asked, putting on a face of mock-hurt. "And here I just wanted to check in to see if the rumours of humans in Gaia were true or not."

Walker growled, the black flames of the furnace fading away as he walked up to confront his sister. "They are, in fact, true. Seems that Gaia has some new Guardians. Called themselves 'Power Rangers'."

"Yes, a group of multicoloured warriors that has emerged on multiple occasions throughout the human world's history," Darkea recalled from her studies. "If memory serves, they've saved that world a number of times from great evil, and they possess powers and weapons similar to the Guardians of old. It only makes sense that the new Guardians of Gaia would be among their ranks. But why now, after all this time?"

Walker scratched his chin, thinking it over, before snapping his fingers. "Of course, the crystals! Musta opened a gate between the worlds!"

Darkea cocked an eyebrow, confused. "But wasn't there one crystal that-"

"Yes, I know, meaning there's more investigation to be done," Walker stated. "For now, I'll instruct the Blots to seek out the humans and destroy anything that gets in their way. Should bring that lot outta hiding."

"Just in case, you may wish to add THIS to their ranks," Darkea suggested, drawing a stone figurine from her belt and tossing it to Walker. The Shadowmancer caught it in his hand and looked over the black Minotaur figurine, smirking evilly in admiration.

* * *

Nikki blinked as the light finally died down, revealing the five of them to be standing in the middle of a large stone chamber lit by five torches, each burning one of of their crystals' colours. Just behind them was a large crystal globe, turning very slowly. Lining the walls were bookshelves filled with thick books. A wooden podium of sorts stood just before them, a book laying open atop of it.

"Okay, NOW where are we?" Patrick wondered, quickly spotting Layla inching toward the podium. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"Just checking something," Layla replied, inspecting the book. On the pages it was open to, there were five creatures, almost machine-like in appearance, colour-coded to each of their crystals. "...Okay, THIS is pretty interesting. It looks like these creatures are tied to our crystals somehow."

Madilyn took a look, her eyes widening. "Hey, the violet one is a thunderbird, just like the one on my helmet when I morphed! Come to think of it, these ALL look like the creatures our helmets were patterned after!"

"Well, that only makes sense. They ARE your Gaia Zords."

The five spun to face the one who said that. Standing before them, stroking a long white beard, was an elderly-looking man in gold and silver robes, holding a wooden staff with a unicorn head at the top, its horn shimmering silver. The man smiled to the group in a friendly manner, walking over to them.

"Greetings," the man said warmly. "I am Jowar, the last wizard of Gaia. I see my teleportation spell brought you here safely enough."

"Teleportation spell?" Nikki asked. "You mean YOU brought us to this insane world?"

Jowar shook his head. "No, no, only to the Ancient Library, after it seemed you were a bit cornered by Blots. Though, I HAVE been tracking your progress since you arrived in Gaia."

"That creep Walker called this place Gaia, too," Dirk noted. "Is this really a whole different world from Earth?"

"Yes and no," the old wizard replied, motioning to the globe as it suddenly showed the faint outline of continents on it over a smaller holographic image of Earth. "Gaia exists in the same space as Earth, providing it with nourishment and life. Or rather, it DID, for who knows how many millenia, until the dark times began. Since then, Earth has mostly had to make do on its own, with its own natural resources and what little energy that can be spared while keeping Gaia intact."

"What happened?" Layla inquired, still holding the book.

"This world has ties to each of the natural elements, like fire and water," Jowar explained as the globe powered down. "However, one day, the element of darkness grew too powerful, by slowly but surely consuming energy from the other elements. Such an imbalance caused the world to spiral out of control. The Guardians of Gaia sought to use the power of the silver light to revert the darkness to its previous state, and it seemed to be working for a time. But then, when the most crucial and critical battle began, both the light and the Guardians vanished, along with the crystals that allowed them to harness their powers."

"Crystals?" Nikki exclaimed, reaching into her shirt and pulling out her own, which had returned to its chain upon her demorphing. "You mean like these?"

"Yes, those exact crystals," Jowar confirmed as the group all brought out their crystals. "I believe the Guardians may have been forcibly sent to Earth, though scattered around the human world. With no way to return, they simply chose to keep the crystals protected in their family lines until the day came when the gates between worlds opened again, which didn't happen for thousands of years."

"Why now, though?" Patrick wondered aloud, holding his crystal. "Is it just because the crystals all got gathered in the same place, or is there something more to it?"

"I don't know, but your arrival with the crystals is a sure-fire sign that you are the new Guardians of Gaia," the elderly wizard went on. "Your passing through the realms even afforded you the Crystal Blast Morphers, the weapons developed through Gaian technology to harness the powers of the crystals, just as I believe that further tapping into their power will allow you to summon the Gaia Zords, the companions of the Guardians of Gaia."

Layla's eye twitched at the mention, causing her to hold the book open. "You mean these creatures? Or, are they machines?"

"They a both, created through the natural elements, given the minds of living creatures, and the bodies of war machines," Jowar answered, gently taking the book from Layla and placing it back on the podium. "I was studying about their use back in ancient times when I noticed you were in trouble."

"Wait, time out," Nikki interjected. "All of this sounds pretty dire, and as much as I'd hate to turn my back on people that need help, we need to find a way back home. Heck, once we're there, we could call in the military or the other Power Rangers of our world to come stomp those Blots back to where they came from."

"Sadly, though you somehow managed to open the gates between worlds, they shut behind you," Jowar said, looking apologetic. "I didn't possess the power to keep it open, and I still have yet to determine if there's any sort of way to use the crystals to open the gates again."

Dirk's shoulders slumped. "Y'mean we're stuck here? Oh man..."

Madilyn frowned at the group, throwing her hands out. "C'mon, you guys! How can you be all down?! Look at us: We're Power Rangers in an awesome new world with cool weapons and even Zords! Tell me none of you have ever dreamed or even prayed for that!"

"Of course I have!" Dirk yelled back. "Just...y'know, not like this! Not trapped in some other world! I mean, I was far enough away from my folks being in college, but this?!"

Nikki sighed, looking into her crystal as she listened to the two argue. Suddenly, the sound of them was drowned out as she saw the image of the phoenix from before, only now clearly resembling the picture in the book of the Gaia Zords. It looked into her eyes, and she looked back, and in that instant, she finally understood the meaning in its eyes and what it wanted from her: To fight alongside it and save Gaia. And as their eyes were locked, Nikki could think of only one course of action to take.

"Let's do it," she muttered, getting everyone's attention.

"Seriously?" Patrick asked. "You sure about this?"

"Look, there's nothing else we can do until we can find a way home," Nikki reasoned, "and are we really willing to ignore a world in danger like this?"

Before anyone could say anything more, the torches suddenly burned much brighter, and the globe spun to show a specific section before highlighting it with a red circle. Jowar quickly dashed over to the globe, inspecting the location it was highlighting.

"What's going on now?" Layla inquired.

"That's a warning signal, meaning somewhere right now, Blots are attacking someone!" Jowar explained as the globe created a holographic image of a lake, where female centaurs were running from Blots. "That's a settlement filled with Kentaurides! It isn't far from where you first arrived!"

Dirk's eyes widened in realization. "They went looking for us. Now they're destroying anything and anyone in their path until they find us."

"What's THAT?" Layla demanded, pointing to the image of an ink-like black Minotaur among the Blots, ramming down trees with its horns.

"That's a Lightless," Jowar answered, stroking his beard. "They're ancient creatures of the dark, normally trapped in figurines, unless given plenty of darkness to awaken. Walker must've used some of the Blots to wake it up."

Dirk's fists clenched as he saw the centaur women running in fear of the Minotaur Lightless. "...Okay, NOW they've ticked me off. Let's take 'em down."

The others all nodded as Jowar turned to them. "Remember, you're tied to the energy in your crystals, whether you realize it now or not. Call upon it from deep inside yourselves, and you'll be able to access the full extent of your powers."

The group nodded, drawing their blasters as Jowar raised his staff, teleporting them as he did previously. Within moments, they found themselves just up the hill from the lake, centaurs running in terror. Some of the men had arrived with clubs and maces, but were little good against the Blots, getting knocked away. One rather armored centaur was doing battle with the Minotaur Lightless, but quickly found his armor pounded in before getting knocked onto his side. The monster then raised both fists, looking to bring it down on the warrior centaur.

"Hold it, 'El Torito'!" Nikki shouted, getting the monster's attention.

The Minotaur Lightless huffed angrily, black smog rising from its nostrils. "Who dares call me a simple bull?!"

"I think you made it mad," Layla pointed out as Blots began to form up around the monster.

"Was kinda the idea," Nikki replied with a shrug. "You guys ready to do this?"

Patrick gave a nod. "We're with ya, boss."

"HEY, I'M the leader of the club!" Madilyn objected.

"Whatever, let's take these Blots down and save the centaurs," Dirk interjected. "...There's a sentence I never thought I'd say."

Nikki rolled her eyes, stifling a giggle. "Let's do this. **It's Morphin Time!**"

At this call, the group all pulled their crystals from their chains, drew their Crystal Blast Morphers, and inserted them inside. As the Blots came charging in, the team raised their blasters forward, pulling the triggers and yelling, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The multicoloured blasts shot out, knocking the Blots away, before doubling back, coating the team with energy as their suits materialized.

"Guardian of Fire!" Nikki yelled as her suit finished materializing. "Red Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Wind!" Patrick called as his costume came on. "Green Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Water!" Layla shouted as her suit formed around herself. "Blue Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Earth!" Dirk roared as his outfit materialized. "Orange Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Lightning!" Madilyn called as her suit's materialization ended. "Violet Gaia Ranger!"

The five all struck a pose as a large flash of silver light shimmered around them, followed by five multicoloured explosions. "_**Power Rangers, Guardians of Gaia!**_"

"Blots, tear them apart!" the Minotaur Lightless commanded, sending his entire squad to attack.

"**Gaia Sabers!**" Nikki yelled, the team drawing their short swords. The Rangers then dashed down the hill, squaring off with their own groups of Blots. Nikki took on a group of five, wasting little time with her motions and stabbing them in the eyes, destroying each of them as quickly and efficiently as possible. The last one managed to catch the blade in its hands, but the Red Ranger simply leaped up and karate kicked the blade into its eye, causing it to evaporate into black smoke.

A few feet away, Patrick kicked one in the shin, bringing it to a knee. He then leaped off its back, landing on the shoulders of other Blots nearby one by one, slashing down the Blot closest to the one he was perched on. Once he was down to three, he leaped up and struck his sword and feet out in different directions, catching all of them before doing a one-handed handstand.

"I'll give you guys this much," the Green Ranger commented, "you make me look REALLY good."

Further down the hill, Dirk shoulder-tackled one Blot in the gut, slamming him to the ground. As five more Blots came charging at him, though, he lifted the Blot back up, and proceeded to ram his way through each and every one of them, knocking them all against a boulder. Loading his crystal into his Gaia Saber, the Orange Ranger then let out a battle cry as he sent an Earthly slash through all six Blots at once, destroying them all.

"Looks like these Blots have been blotted out!" Dirk joked.

Madilyn and Layla yelled as they leaped up and slashed down the pair of Blots before them, clearing the way to the fallen Centaur warrior. Once that was done, they immediately got between him and the Minotaur Lightless, keeping them apart.

"Gonna have to go through us to get to him!" Madilyn told the monster.

"That's arrangeable!" the Minotaur Lightless yelled, charging toward them.

"**Flood Launcher!**" Layla shouted, bringing out her cannon and blasting the monster hard. However, she was shocked to find the beast's horns pierced straight through the blast, giving him the chance to slam his hard skull into the Blue Ranger's gut and knock her several feet away.

"SIS!" Madilyn cried, before turning to the Minotaur Lightless. "Oh, you're MINE, now!"

"Try it!" the monster growled.

"**Lightning Daggers!**" the Violet Ranger shrieked, pulling out her personal weapons. She then ran forward and slashed her daggers at the Minotaur Lightless, only to have said slashes blocked by the creature's horns. He then backhanded Madilyn hard across her helmet, sending her sailing away, landing near her sister.

"Madilyn! Layla!" Nikki yelled as she ran over to the two, quickly followed by Dirk and Patrick. "Are you okay?!"

"Ugh, yeah, but that creep's horns are deflecting our attacks!" Madilyn replied, slowly getting to a knee.

Nikki looked back to the Minotaur Lightless, particularly the crimson points of its horns, formulating a strategy. "...Dirk, think you can keep a hold on those horns?"

"He can't be any wilder than ol' Boris back at home!" the Orange Ranger suggested.

"Just keep them down so me and Pat can get a clear shot at them," Nikki ordered.

Patrick smirked. "Think I got the plan. Let's do this!"

Dirk nodded, charging the Minotaur Lightless, sword held high. However, as the beast looked to block his slash, at the last second, the Orange Ranger tossed his sword away and grabbed both of the monster's horns, pushing down hard on them. The Lightless roared as it tried to buck Dirk off, but he held his ground firmly, grunting with all he had until he finally managed to bring the monster down to a knee.

"NOW!" Dirk shouted.

"**Heat Sabers!**" Nikki called, bringing out her swords as she ran in and brought them down on the left horn.

"**Storm Lance!**" Patrick cried, summoning his lance and stabbing it toward the right horn. The two attacks hit their marks, slicing the Minotaur Lightless' horns clean off.

"**Quake Ax!**" Dirk roared, tossing the horns away and drawing his ax, sending it crashing against the monster and knocking it several yards away. Once it was down, Layla and Madilyn managed to form up with the others, weapons drawn.

"Let's bring 'em together!" Nikki commanded. At this, she slammed the hilts of her sabers together, creating a bow. Dirk set his ax blunt end down on the Flood Launcher, the Heat Bow connecting between the two. Patrick then disconnected the two halves of his lance, he and Madilyn connecting them onto the bow.

"_**Gaia Blaster!**_" the Rangers yelled, holding the massive weapon up and aiming it at the Lightless as it started to get back up. "_**FIRE!**_"

Pulling the trigger, Layla fired a massive multicoloured blast of their elements at the monster. The resulting blast created an explosion, utterly destroying the monster and sending a puff of black smog sailing into the sky. The team cheered in victory as they disconnected their weapons.

* * *

Walker's teeth gritted together so hard that they almost shattered as he watched the image of the Rangers destroying his monster in the fireplace. "Grr, what happened?! The Minotaur Lightless should've been more than enough to obliterate them!"

Darkea looked up from the book she was reading in shock. "They destroyed it?! They're stronger than I thought they'd be!"

"Not destroyed YET!" Walker growled, raising his staff over the fireplace. "Dark Staff of the Wyvern, make my Lightless grow!"

Suddenly, the wyvern head on Walker's staff opened its jaws. It then spewed out a thick, black smog into the fire, causing it to grow larger. Walker sneered evilly as this went on, feeling the Minotaur Lightless' energy be restored from far off.

* * *

Up in the sky above the centaur settlement, the Rangers watched as a dark flame was suddenly pumped into the black smog released from the monster. Once it was finished, the smog reformed into the Minotaur Lightless, only now it was giant sized, like the giant Blot they'd fought earlier, and its horns were grown back. Worse, some of the giant Blots they'd seen before were beginning to take up formation around it.

"Oh great, now what do we do?!" Pat asked.

Nikki looked around, trying to think, when her eyes settled on her Gaia Saber. Specifically, the section in the hilt that slid back to place her crystal in. Engraved on it was the face of a phoenix. Looking down at Dirk's saber, she saw that a behemoth was engraved onto his. Her lips curved into a smile as she realized the meaning behind this: If the blasters were their morphers, then maybe the sabers were...

"Guys!" the Red Ranger yelled, reaching down and tossing Dirk's saber to him. "Our Gaia Sabers! I'll bet anything we need to use them to call the Zords!"

Dirk blinked, but placed his crystal back into the saber anyway. "Sounds crazy enough. Let's do it!"

The others followed suit, placing their crystals into their sabers, then raised them high and called out, "**_We need Gaia Zord power, now!_**"

"Red Phoenix Gaia Zord, power up!" Nikki yelled, her sword sending out a red stream of light into a nearby mountain, the Phoenix Zord taking off from it with flames trailing off of its wings.

"Green Hippogriff Gaia Zord, power up!" Patrick called, a green beam firing from his saber into a cluster of clouds, bringing out the Hippogriff Zord as it barrel rolled through the sky.

"Blue Leviathan Gaia Zord, power up!" Layla shouted, her saber releasing a blue blast into the lake, the Leviathan Zord lifting its neck out the water with a roar.

"Orange Behemoth Gaia Zord, power up!" Dirk exclaimed, his sword sending out an orange beam into the woods, the Behemoth Zord stomping through it on all fours.

"Violet Thunderbird Gaia Zord, power up!" Madilyn cried, sending a violet stream of light up out of her sword to create a thundercloud in the sky, the Thunderbird Zord sailing out of it.

Once the Zords were all called out, the Rangers immediately leaped up, were caught in beams of light from the Zords, and pulled into the Gaia Zord cockpits. The cockpits consisted of a pilot's seat, a few switches and levers, and a large screen to show everything in front of and to the Zord's sides. There were also a pair of empty compartments: One for the Gaia Saber in front of the seat to form the stick to steer the Zord, one for the Crystal Blast Morpher to the right of the seat to operate the Zord's weapon systems. One by one, each of the Rangers plugged their weapons in, receiving full control of their Zords.

"Cover me, guys," Nikki said over the comm. "I'm going in!"

The Phoenix Zord screeched as it swooped down at a giant Blot, raking its talons across its eye. The Blot stumbled back with a growl, giving the red Gaia Zord the chance to open its beak and release a series of fireballs that blew the giant creature away.

"My turn!" Patrick yelled, flying the Hippogriff Zord into an aileron roll, creating a mini-tornado that spun directly into a Blot, taking it out instantly.

"Watch what I can do!" Layla cheered, the Leviathan Zord slithering across the land and tripping up a Blot before rearing its head back and letting loose a blast of ice, freezing the giant solid before it was smashed apart by the massive feet of the Behemoth Zord. "Hey, he was mine!"

"I didn't see your name on it!" Dirk laughed, ramming the Behemoth Zord's horns into another Blot, knocking it down.

"And I didn't see YOUR name on THIS!" Madilyn called as the Thunderbird Zord swooped down, firing thunderbolt-like feathers from its wings and destroying the fallen Blot.

Dirk sighed, shoulders slumping. "Hardy flipping har."

Phoenix Zord cawed as it blasted the last Blot away, Nikki cheering. "Yeah! That takes care of the small-fries! Now, let's bring that Lightless down!"

Thunderbird Zord flew in close, firing electricity from its eyes at the Minotaur Lightless, only for the blasts to be intercepted by the beast's horns, Madilyn cursing at her luck. "Shoot! Those horns are stopping our attacks again!"

"I got 'em!" Dirk yelled, charging the Behemoth Zord toward the monster. The Minotaur Lightless rammed straight for it, the two locking horns. The Orange Ranger gritted his teeth, putting as much power as he could into his Zord and push on the Minotaur Lightless.

"Green Ranger to the rescue!" Patrick cried as the Hippogriff Zord flew down, stomping its hooves down hard on the monster's horns, taking them clean off. "Let's wrap this sucker up!"

"That's my cue!" Layla said, weaving the Leviathan Zord between and around the Minotaur Lightless' legs, keeping it immobile. "Finish it, Nikki!"

"Locked on!" the Red Ranger responded. "Time to take this bull out to pasture!"

With that, the Phoenix Zord swooped down, the light of the sun shimmering around it. It then began to spin in an aileron roll, surrounding itself in flames, before flying straight through the Minotaur Lightless, emerging from the other side as Leviathan Zord released the monster. Said monster let out one last roar before collapsing in an explosion, the black smog rising up before evaporating into the air.

Nikki let out a sigh of relief, landing her Zord and pulling her helmet off. "Good job, team. Looks like Gaia's safe for another day..."

Easing into the back of her seat, Nikki looked down at the helmet in her hands. She knew this wasn't going to be easy, and she never planned on being a soldier or superhero or the like in her life. Karate and fencing were just a means of learning self defense and discipline. And now, in the first week in college, she'd been sucked into some alternate world with people she barely knew to fight against an evil she never could've imagined existed, even in the world she lived in with Power Rangers and giant monsters. And yet, as she looked at her reflection in the helmet's visor, she couldn't shake the feeling that, in spite of the odds, she could do this. THEY could do this. By luck, fate, or whatever was at work, they were the Power Rangers now, and as long as they stuck together, there was nothing they couldn't do.

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ So, let's go over some of the team's equipment this time, shall we? First off, the Crystal Blast Morphers. Without the crystals, they fire non-elemental blasts that lack the force of their other shots. Each blaster's barrel is shaped like a phoenix head, which can be bent down to insert a crystal (think Kamen Rider W's Trigger Magnum crossed with Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger's Gaburicalibur). Once the crystal is inserted and the blaster closed, calling out "Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!" and pulling the trigger initiates the morphing sequence. And yes, I adopted "It's Morphin Time" as the pre-morphing-call call, like it is in Power Rangers Megaforce. If that bothers anyone, I apologize, but to be fair, it works a heck of a lot better than most team's "Ready?!". Once morphing is complete, the blasters fire elemental beams, the element dependent on which crystal was inserted. Holding in the trigger will cause the blaster to charge up, and then releasing it launches a much larger blast.

The Gaia Sabers are the short sword sidearms for the Gaia Rangers. On their own, they're sharp blades used for stabbing and slashing opponents, and are most effective against Blots at short range, as the Lightless are usually best kept at a longer range. By inserting a crystal in the hilt, it can be used for a powerful slash that channels the element the crystal belongs to. Finally, by inserting the correct crystal into the correct saber, it can be used to summon one of the Gaia Zords.

The Gaia Blaster is formed by the personal weapons of each Ranger. I used the original Power Blaster from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as a base for the design. The Heat Sabers combine into the Heat Bow, which are connected to the Flood Launcher and Quake Ax, and then have the Lightning Daggers and the separated Storm Lance connected on top of it. Because it's a tad hefty, it requires the other Rangers to help support it for Layla while she takes aim and fires. It fires five beams out of the Flood Launcher and the four tips of the daggers and the lance-halves, one beam for each element. The resulting blast is usually enough to destroy a Lightless, but it's generally best to make sure the monster is downed and won't try to interrupt.

We'll talk more about the Gaia Zords at the ned of the next chapter. Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, the Ranger tries to iron out some of the more disruptive elements of their team, as they'll need to be in perfect sync in order to combine their Zords to form the Gaia Megazord. Ja né!


	3. Unity

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

**For Justin 'JewWario' Carmical, who loved tokusatsu as much as anyone else I knew online, and himself became a toku hero. Ride on, FamiKamen Rider.**

* * *

_Not much is known about who the Guardians of Gaia were as people. As warriors, however, they were brave, kind to the down-trodden, ferocious to their enemies, and always there for one another, so one can assume they were good people. And, as exploits of their flawless teamwork seem to suggest, it can therefore be assumed that they were the very best of friends, rarely if ever coming into conflict._

* * *

"I'm just saying, bunk-beds are the way to go!" Madilyn insisted, getting huffy.

Patrick pinched the bridge of his nose so hard that it looked like he was about to bruise it. "And I'm saying we don't have the tools to make bunk-beds!"

"All we need to do is stack the beds on top of each other!" Madilyn argued. "Maybe put some blocks in between, use some steel beams to hold 'em up, and a ladder to climb-"

"No, no, no!" Dirk interjected. "No ladders! I did the ladder thing with bunk-beds on the farm, and they suck! We gotta go with steps!"

"On top of that, stacking them like that could end in DISASTER!" Pat pointed out. "What if one came loose? You could kill whoever's underneath!"

Nikki groaned and facepalmed, watching this argument from the sidelines with Layla. Jowar had been decent enough to create a room for them, and he even had four beds they could use. Unfortunately, getting the living conditions set up had been a disaster since the word go. It's not even that she didn't understand why Madilyn wanted bunk-beds, not just from a childish standpoint, but because they took up less of the floor. Still, facts were facts, and there was just no way they could safely make their four beds into two sets of bunk-beds.

"And you lived with this at home?" Nikki asked Layla.

Layla nodded, blushing in shame. "And in the dorms back at college. I had a one year break from it. I cherished that year, SO much."

"Is there a problem?"

Layla sprang up nearly four feet as Jowar appeared right beside her, Nikki having to catch her. "GAH! Do you HAVE to do that?!"

"Sorry, I tend to forget you aren't used to teleporting yet, among other things," Jowar apologized. "I just thought I'd check in to see what all the yelling was about."

Patrick walked over, having finally released the death grip on his own nose. "Madilyn wants bunk-beds. I keep telling her it's impossible, but-"

"Oh, is that all?" Jowar asked. "Hold on then!"

Suddenly, Jowar raised his staff, the unicorn horn at the top glowing brightly. One flash of light later, the beds were reformed into two sets of bunk-beds, complete with wooden staircases to climb up to the top bunks. The elderly wizard smirked, stroking his beard and looking proud of himself.

"Yay, bunk-beds!" Madilyn cheered. "I kinda wanted ladders, but I guess I'll meet you guys halfway with the stairs."

"How is that meeting us halfway when she got nearly everything she wanted?" Pat muttered to Nikki, who just shrugged.

"Say, Jowar, is that REALLY the most appropriate use of your powers?" Layla asked.

Jowar huffed. "A wizard as wise as myself can use his magic however he sees fit."

"Okay then!" Madilyn exclaimed as she turned to face the team. "Next piece of business: I was thinking, we should all streak our hair to match our Ranger colours!"

Nikki blinked, confused. "...Uhh, why?"

Madilyn rolled her eyes, pointing to the violet streaks in her hair. "Because I'm the only one with hair that matches my Ranger colour! We should all do it, so we all match our Ranger colours!"

"Absolutely not!" Patrick yelled, forming an X with his arms. "I LOVE my red hair, and I am not doing ANYTHING to taint it!"

"Besides, it's honestly not enough that we're all dressed in the same colours as our Ranger suits?" Dirk asked, everyone looking at him like he'd grown a second head. "...What, seriously? I'm the only one that noticed this?"

The team hesitantly looked down at their clothes. Sure enough, they were all wearing some form of clothes that had the same colour as their Ranger suits: Nikki was wearing a red t-shirt, black knee-length jeans, and red and black sneakers; Patrick was wearing a green t-shirt, black vest, blue jeans, and black and green sneakers; Layla was wearing a blue tank-top, jeans, glasses, and white sneakers; Dirk was wearing an orange long-sleeved shirt, blue cut-off jeans, and brown work boots; Finally, Madilyn was wearing a violet long-sleeved shirt, sky blue jeans, and violet and white sneakers. And of course, reaching under their shirts were silver chains that ended in their respective crystals.

Madilyn sweatdropped. "Yyyeeaaahhhh. I've, uh, I've decided to make the executive decision to skip the hair dye."

* * *

Walker smirked, looking over a glass cabinet filled with black, stone figurines. His new Lightless army, all assembled for him neatly. With an army such as this, each with their own unique powers and abilities, he was certain he could pick out one that could utterly destroy the new Guardians of Gaia, thus winning the entirety of Gaia for the darkness.

"Why don't you just summon them all?" Darkea asked, practicing a one-handed hand-stand on her sword, which was stuck in the ground.

"You don't realize just how much energy that'd require, do you?" Walker countered. "ONE Lightless needs the darkness that makes up at least a dozen Blots in order to be awakened. Then I need to keep it contained in the figurine so it ain't cancelled out, and if worst comes to worst, I need to be able to funnel enough darkness into it to make it grow. I'm STILL trying to reclaim the energy from using the Minotaur Lightless earlier."

"So you can only do one per day?" Darkea inquired. "THAT sounds pretty pathetic."

"Tch, if SOMEONE had taken the time to learn Shadowmancy, we could have more than that," Walker muttered.

"Yeah, when I feel like hanging around on the sidelines and letting someone else have all the fun, I'll study up on it," Darkea scoffed. "Speaking of which, when AM I gonna get a shot at the new Guardians?"

Walker took one of the figurines out of the cabinet, looking it over. "Patience, sister. Tomorrow, we're going to pay a certain village of Night Elves a visit. You know the one."

Darkea grinned, flipping off her sword and pulling it from the floor. "About time."

* * *

Nikki groaned, walking out into the garden chamber Jowar had created for the Ancient Library. It was morning, and she had decided to check in with the old wizard. Sure enough, he was watering the plants. Apparently, gardening was a hobby of his, alongside reading just about every single book in the Ancient Library, of which there HAD to be thousands.

"Good morning, Nichelle!" Jowar greeted happily upon noticing her arrival. "How did you and the others sleep?"

"Ugh, it was awful," Nikki muttered, rubbing her eyes.

"Were the beds not to your liking?" Jowar asked.

"No no, they were fine," Nikki said quickly. "It's just, first there was debate on the sleeping arrangements, since everyone wanted a top bunk. We ended up arm wrestling for them, and of COURSE me and Dirk won. But then Layla refused to sleep in the same bed with her sister, so Dirk gave up his bed and slept on the floor. Of course, then he started SNORING, and it took forever for ANY of us to get to sleep."

"I believe I have a few sets of earplugs, in case you all want them," Jowar offered.

Nikki half-smiled. "It's not just the snoring. It's US. We're not getting along like we should be."

Jowar cocked an eyebrow at this. "And how SHOULD you be getting along?"

"I dunno, like a team?" Nikki replied. "Take Madilyn for example. She still thinks of this like the crystallography club and that she should be in charge, except that she's not a good decision maker at all. She just does whatever she wants to, regardless of what the group thinks. She and Patrick are always getting on each other's nerves, and of course her antics constantly embarrass poor Layla."

"I see," Jowar muttered, stroking his beard. "Still, I'm sure the rest get along just fine, correct?"

* * *

"All I'm saying is that the Zords are clearly machines," Layla said, eating her sandwich at the kitchen table. "They're been programmed to behave like animals, but they probably don't feel PAIN."

"And I'm telling you that's not it at all!" Dirk insisted, taking a giant bite out of his own sandwich. "They may have the bodies of machines, but they ARE living creatures where it counts most, and we should be careful about using them in battle!"

"Yes, because LOTS of animals have cockpits, manual controls, and can combine into giant robots," Layla scoffed.

"Yeah, well-" Dirk started to counter until something clicked in his head. "Wait, what?"

Layla rolled her eyes, pulling out the book Jowar had been reading the day before and opening it to a page showing the five Gaia Zords combined into a single figure. "See? It says here that the Gaia Zords can combine to become one super-powered robot that pools the energy of all five Zords."

Patrick, who had been staying out of this conversation and enjoying his cereal up until now, leaned in to read. "Wow, that IS awesome! Wonder why we weren't told about that yesterday?"

"Well, it says here the Guardians could only combine the Zords by using a special crystal and keeping in sync as a team," Layla noted, looking concerned.

"Pfft, that's no biggie!" Madilyn interjected, eating some graham crackers. "Under my leadership, we're a well-oiled fighting force the likes of which neither world has ever seen!"

The others just stared at Madilyn like she was completely bonking insane, Dirk clearing his throat and saying "Yeah, let's just hold back on the giant robot for a while. I mean, I doubt we'll really NEED it. After all, we took out bull face yesterday."

"Yeah, well, I get the feeling the next one's gonna be a bit tougher than just holding his horns down," Pat pointed out. "This isn't like high school wrestling, Dirk. Coming from the farm doesn't necessarily mean you're the biggest, baddest man to hit the mat here. Heck, there's not even a mat this time."

"Yeah?" Dirk inquired with a chortle. "Well, somehow I don't think it'll be like those fencing, parkour, or meteorology classes, either. So, when you run outta ways to poke, dodge, or...I dunno, out-predict-storms monsters, lemme know when you need me to step in."

* * *

Jowar sighed, sitting back and stroking his beard. "I see, I see. So then, the problem is all them?"

Nikki looked away, frowning sadly. "No...It's me too. Me especially, actually."

Jowar just looked on inquisitively, so Nikki explained, resting her arms on a ledge. "I'm the outsider that makes everything immediately worse upon entering. Madilyn feels threatened 'cuz the others look at me like a leader, which, for the record, I never asked for. I feel like, just by being here, I make everything automatically worse for the group."

Jowar opened his mouth, looking to object, when he was cut off by an alarm going off in the main chamber. "Sounds like trouble!"

Stomping his staff down to the floor, Jowar immediately teleported the two to the main chamber of the Ancient Library, where the torches were roaring and the globe was highlighting a location in Gaia. Within moments, the others joined up with them, just as the globe zoomed in on a small village in the woods. There, a group of indigo-skinned elves were running from Blots while the warriors of their group took on the monsters with swords and bows.

"Oh dear!" Jowar observed. "It seems the village of Night Elf runaways has been found!"

"Night Elf runaways?" Layla inquired.

"When the darkness began consuming the other elements, there were those attuned to it that disagreed with such practices," Jowar explained. "These Night Elves have been on the run for centuries."

"Think they'll be able to take care of the Blots?" Dirk asked, just as the globe showed the image of a Werelion Lightless stampeding through the Night Elf warriors. "...I retract my previous question."

"Let's get in there, then!" Nikki proclaimed. "**It's Morphin Time!**"

At this call, the team pulled their crystals from their chains, unholstered their Crystal Blast Morphers, and inserted the crystals inside. They then raised their blasters skyward, pulling the triggers and yelling, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The rainbow coloured blasts shot out, spiraling around each other in the air, before doubling back and coating the team with energy, their Ranger suits materializing over their clothes.

"Port us there, Jowar!" Madilyn exclaimed, to which the elderly wizard raised his staff and teleported the group to just outside the village, behind enemy lines.

"Let's back up the Night Elves, you guys!" Nikki ordered. "**Crystal Blast Morphers!**"

The five all readied their blasters and charged in, blasting down any Blot that moved. Patrick shot one in the knee, bringing it down so he could get a running leap up and off its shoulders, shooting every Blot he passed over before kicking one square in the eye, destroying it before he landed where it once stood. Seeing another dash toward him, the Green Ranger ran in close and slid between its legs before throwing his arm back and shooting it down.

"Lights out, Blots!" Pat yelled triumphantly.

Dirk gave a loud yell, clotheslining one Blot down before turning and doing the same to one trying to catch him off guard. Seeing five more head his way, the Orange Ranger grabbed the second one he'd clotheslined by the legs and swung him at the group before firing a charged shot from his blaster, blowing the group away.

"And THAT's what I call 'gettin' 'er done'!" Dirk exclaimed.

"Whoa, 'scuse me!" Layla cried, ducking and dodging between Blots while blasting as many as she could down. Eventually, though, one caught her with a lucky shot across the helmet, followed by several claw shots that sent her flying back, sparks flying off her suit. Before hitting a small hut, though, the Blue Ranger managed to shoot said Blots down, though she didn't have much chance to enjoy it as her back thudded against the wall of said hut, causing her to drop her Crystal Blast Morpher as more Blots honed in on her.

"Uh, any chance we could talk?" Layla suggested, all the while waiting for them to get close enough to bring out her Flood Launcher and take them all down at once.

The Blots growled, running in to attack, only to get caught off guard by a frenzy of blasts, Madilyn charging in to wipe them all out. "Sis! You okay?!"

"I had it under control!" Layla insisted, getting back up quickly and scooping up her blaster.

"Didn't look like it to me!" Madilyn argued, shooting a random Blot to the side. "And even if you did, can you blame me for wanting to save my little sister?"

"Yes, when you have better things to do!" Layla shouted, blasting a Blot charging at Madilyn from over her older sister's shoulder.

Suddenly, a Blot was dropped from the roof above them, Nikki landing beside it. "Girls, focus! That Blot almost jumped you both!"

"Hey, you're not the boss of me!" Madilyn yelled, turning her attention on the Red Ranger.

"I never said I was!" Nikki shouted back. "I'm just trying to keep everyone focused on getting the job done!"

Once their backs were turned, the three were quickly caught off-guard as the Werelion Lightless charged past, slashing its claws across the Rangers and sending them tumbling to the ground. The girls quickly started to get back up, but were too slow to react as the Lightless turned and slashed his claws forward, sending black energy slashes straight for them, the explosion destroying the hut next to them and sending them crashing into nearby trees, knocking the wind out of them.

"Oh shoot!" Dirk cursed as he and Patrick caught sight of this from a few yards away. "C'mon, we gotta get in there!"

"Not today!" a voice called, just as a grey skinned woman in black and red armour leaped in and slashed them both to the ground with a rather nasty looking sword. The two boys got back to their feet as the woman looked them over cockily.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Patrick asked.

"They call me Darkea," the woman replied. "My brother Walker sends his best wishes."

"Great, can't wait to meet the rest of the family," Dirk said snarkily, pressing his thumb to the shield emblem on his buckle. "**Quake Ax!**"

"**Storm Lance!**" Pat yelled as he did the same, the two getting their weapons and charging Darkea. Unfortunately, her strikes were too powerful for the Green Ranger, knocking his Storm Lance loose and putting him down in the dirt with ease, and she was too fast for the Orange Ranger, dodging his attacks like they were barely even there, and then catching him in the neck with the hilt of her blade, knocking him down.

"If you're done embarrassing yourselves, can we do this for real now?" Darkea asked, giggling evilly.

Meanwhile, things weren't doing much better for the girls. Madilyn charged the Werelion Lightless with her blaster in one hand and her Gaia Saber in the other, only to be quickly kicked in the gut and knocked back into Nikki and Layla, both similarly armed.

"I told you not to-" Nikki started to groan through the pain.

"Shut up!" Madilyn yelled, hand on her back. "Y'know, for someone who isn't the leader, you sure bark out a lot of orders!"

"I just-" The Red Ranger began to shoot back before letting her shoulders slump, exasperated. "Just hang back. I'll try to keep it still so you guys can attack."

"That's insane, Nikki!" Layla cried. "At that close range, those claws could tear you apart!"

"Let me worry about that," Nikki replied, putting a thumb to her buckle. "**Heat Sabers!**"

Receiving her weapons, the Red Ranger let out a battle cry and charged the Werelion Lightless. She moved as swiftly as she could, trying to keep up with it, but at her fastest, Nikki only came slightly close to being as fast as the Werelion Lightless, taking a few slashes while trying to keep it in one place. She couldn't help but wince in pain, but tried her best to fight through it, only to get slashed so hard she spun in mid-air, sparks sailing off her suit as she fell to the ground.

"Nikki, stop it!" Madilyn screamed. "That monster'll destroy you!"

"Have to...keep fighting..." Nikki groaned, talking to herself in slight delirium, slowly getting back to her feet. "For the team...Have to do my part...so I'm not just the outsider..."

Madilyn blinked in shock, overhearing these words. "...Is that what she thinks of herself as?"

Layla looked to her sister, likewise blown away. "That's wrong. That's SO wrong!"

Madilyn shook her head hard, pounding a fist on the ground. "How could I not notice that? What kinda club leader can't tell when her members are getting down on themselves?"

Suddenly, Madilyn's thought process was cut off as Nikki cried out in pain, having been thrown against a tree. Looking around, the Violet Ranger grabbed hold of her blaster and sword, only to stop for a second as she spotted Layla's, an idea forming in her head.

"Sis, cover me?" Madilyn asked, offering up her Crystal Blast Morpher.

Layla nodded, getting the idea and trading her saber for her sister's blaster. "You got it!"

With both swords in hand, the Violet Ranger charged the Werelion Lightless, slashing it across the arm as it was keeping Nikki pinned to the tree. Once free, Nikki swung her Heat Sabers along with Madilyn's weapons, the monster still stunned from the last attack and unable to defend itself as it was forced back. They then stabbed their weapons forward, the Werelion catching them in his massive claws, Nikki and Madilyn smirking as he fell into the trap. With its feet planted, the Lightless was quickly caught in a twin charged shot of Water and Lightning from Layla, sending him sailing straight through a nearby hut.

Nikki fell to a knee, removing her helmet and catching her breath. "That was actually a pretty good plan, Madilyn."

"Tell me the truth," the Violet Ranger quickly demanded, pulling her own helmet off. "Do you really think of yourself as the outsider of this team?"

Nikki frowned, cursing herself for saying that aloud. "...Well, the truth is, ever since I joined, you guys HAVE been arguing a lot. I mean, with them thinking of me as the leader-"

Madilyn shook her head, putting a hand to the Red Ranger's shoulder. "That's just us, though! We bicker all the time! Honestly, we're so used to it, it's kind of part of how we operate! And as far as you being seen as the leader...well, you DO make pretty good calls in battle, except maybe for this time."

"I guess I just let it all get to me too much," Nikki admitted, getting back to her feet. "Do me a favour: If I ever pull a stunt like that again, hit me. HARD."

Madilyn giggled, playfully punching Nikki in the shoulder. "Deal."

"Hey, sweet as this bounding session is, we should probably get back to fighting," Layla interjected, just as the Werelion Lightless started to stir in the rubble of the hut he'd crashed through. "Er, the monster, that is."

Nikki nodded, her and Madilyn putting their helmets back on. "Agreed. Let's show them what our team can REALLY do!"

At that time, a few yards away, Dirk was still trying to get a good shot in on Darkea with his Quake Ax, only to get parried and knocked back into Patrick with ease, the two getting tired out. "Dangit, I KNOW I could do some damage with my Quake Ax, if I could just hit her!"

Pat nodded, looking to his Storm Lance, when an idea popped into his head. "Hey, how about the old switcheroo/alley-oop?"

Dirk smirked, nodding. "Yer on!"

The two gripped their weapons, Patrick charging out in front of Dirk as Darkea prepared to knock the weaker Ranger aside, only for Pat to split his lance in half and toss the pieces over his shoulder while Dirk leaped up and tossed the Quake Ax high into the air. The Orange Ranger then grabbed both halves of the lance as he passed over Pat and brought them down in an X into Darkea's sword, causing her to stumble back. Patrick then leaped over Dirk, landing on his weapons as Dirk used them to shove him straight up into the air, the Green Ranger catching the Quake Ax and bringing it down on Darkea's armour, knocking her one way and her sword another.

"Nice shot!" Dirk commented, the two switching weapons back.

"Man, how do you swing that thing around all the time?" Pat asked, shaking his wrists.

"You should see my Uncle Larry's sledgehammer, 'Big Ted'," Dirk replied, the two jogging after Darkea.

"**Lightning Daggers!**" Madilyn yelled a few yards away, slashing her electrified daggers across the Werelion Lightless and causing him to stumble back.

"**Flood Launcher!**" Layla shouted, opening fire with her cannon and knocking the monster back into a tree.

"**Heat Bow!**" Nikki called, combining her Heat Sabers into their bow form. An arrow materialized in her right hand, which she pulled back with the newly formed string on the bow, before firing it at the Lightless. Unfortunately, the arrow missed, but it DID hit the tree the monster was backed against, blowing it up and sending the beast sailing through the air, crashing next to Darkea.

"Oops!" Nikki said, feeling embarrassed.

"Remind me to help you with your aim," Layla muttered.

"I specialized in karate and fencing, not archery," Nikki commented as the two of them rushed up to meet Madilyn, Patrick and Dirk quickly following.

"You brats," Darkea groaned, she and the monster getting back up. "Who do you think you are?!"

"Why don't we tell her, guys?" Madilyn suggested, the five forming up.

"Guardian of Fire!" Nikki yelled as an red ember-like light burned around her. "Red Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Wind!" Patrick called as green light whipped up like a gust of wind. "Green Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Water!" Layla shouted as blue light splashed over her like water. "Blue Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Earth!" Dirk roared as orange light came off the dirt like sand in the wind. "Orange Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Lightning!" Madilyn called as violet light crackled around her like electricity. "Violet Gaia Ranger!"

The five all struck a group pose as a large silver flash of light came up around them, followed by five rainbow coloured explosions. "_**Power Rangers, Guardians of Gaia!**_"

"Let's bring 'em together!" Nikki ordered, the five bringing their weapons together into their assembled cannon form.

"_**Gaia Blaster!**_" the Rangers yelled, keeping it held up and aiming the cannon at the Werelion Lightless. "_**FIRE!**_"

Layla pulled the trigger, sending a five-pointed blast of fire, wind, water, earth, and lightning energy at the Werelion Lightless. The monster was hit hard by the beams, collapsing in a gigantic explosion that sent a wisp of black smog into the air, Darkea being knocked away by the shock wave. The dark warrior woman growled, getting back to a knee.

"You think this is over?!" Darkea demanded as the five disassembled the Gaia Blaster, readying themselves for round 2, only for Darkea to look straight up to the sky and scream, "WALKER!"

* * *

Walker gave a small smirk, watching everything in the black flames of his fireplace. "Not so easy, is it, sister? No matter. Dark Staff of the Wyvern, make my Lightless grow!"

The Shadowmancer lifted his staff up over the fireplace, the wyvern head on top opening its jaws and spewing a thick, black smog out into the fire, causing it to grow larger. Walker watched the image in the flames as the black smog above the Night Elf village was fed dark flames, causing the Werelion Lightless to reform as a giant, its power fully restored.

"Feel lucky I didn't make YOU grow, sister," Walker scoffed, watching on.

* * *

The Rangers watched as the monster was suddenly brought back into its giant form, Nikki drawing her Gaia Saber. "Guess they never learn!"

"**_We need Gaia Zord power, now!_**" the five called out, inserting their crystals into their sabers and raising them to the sky. The sabers sent out beams of light through the sky, eventually settling on five locations: The Phoenix Zord took off from the top of a tall mountain; The Hippogriff Zord came barreling out of a cluster of clouds; The Leviathan Zord raised itself out of a lake and slithered along the land; The Behemoth Zord came charging out of a tall, dense forest; Finally, the Thunderbird Zord came swooping out of a dark thundercloud.

"Let's do it!" Nikki yelled, leaping up to her Gaia Zord, as the others did theirs. The five were all caught in beams of light, bringing them into the cockpits of their Zords.

"Rangers, log on!" Nikki ordered, inserting her weapons into their slots.

"Patrick here and feeling lucky!" Patrick responded.

"Layla here, all systems go!" Layla replied.

"This is Dirk, ready to kick some butt!" Dirk shouted.

"This thing has a STEREO?!" Madilyn exclaimed. "How did I not notice that before?!"

The Phoenix Zord let out a loud screech, launching fireballs from its mouth. However, the Werelion Lightless was too fast, running through the fire and the flames before they could scorch it. The Leviathan Zord managed to coil itself around it, but the monster quickly slashed it off with its claws, sending it rolling across the ground.

"Whoa, I'm getting dizzy!" Layla cried, trying to right her Zord.

"Hang on, sis!" Madilyn shouted. "Thunderbird's got you covered!"

The Thunderbird Zord cawed loudly, firing blasts of lightning from its eyes, forcing the Werelion Lightless to back off. The Behemoth Zord stomped over, launching the tips of its horns as missiles at the monster, only for them to get swatted away, but were able to distract the Lightless just enough for the Hippogriff Zord to swoop in and stomp its hooves into its face, knocking it to the ground. Unfortunately, it wasn't down for long, as it quickly got back to its feet and send black slashes at the Hippogriff, Phoenix, and Thunderbird Zords, grounding them.

"Darnit, we're not doing enough damage!" Dirk cursed. "We've gotta do something!"

"C'mon, man, we'll get this sucker!" Pat yelled back. "All we gotta do is hold its claws down and wrestle it to the ground!"

Dirk smirked. "Nice, but I'm thinking something with a bit more finesse might be needed."

"I was thinking something like grouping up and wiping the floor with this Lightless!" Madilyn noted.

"Me too!" Layla agreed.

"Me three!" Nikki shouted. "Let's give it everything we've got!"

Suddenly, a shimmering light appeared before Nikki in the cockpit. Reaching up, she grabbed hold of it, revealing a crystal made up of all five of their colours. At that exact moment, the same thing happened with the others, who all took hold of the new crystals.

"Whoa, what are these?" Dirk asked.

"Rangers!" the group heard Jowar declare over the comm. "These are the Unity Crystals! By proving your ability to think and operate as a team, you've earned these new crystals! Use them together, and the Zords will combine as one!"

Nikki thought it over for a second before opening the compartment of her Gaia Saber, removing her crystal. "Let's do it, guys!"

"_**Right!**_" the others called, removing their crystals from the sabers before they all inserted the Unity Crystals. "_**Gaia Zords, combine!**_"

The five Gaia Zords all cried out, charging forward. The Behemoth Zord leaped up into the air, its body shifting around to resemble a giant torso of sorts, its head now covering its chest. The Leviathan Zord twisted its body around before most of its body lifted up to latch onto the Behemoth Zord, its head and the end of its tail forming the right and left feet while the rest formed a hip and legs. The Phoenix and Thunderbird Zords cawed as they curled their wings and talons in, forming the right and left arms of the giant robot as human-like hands emerged from their beaks. Finally, the Hippogriff Zord landed on the back, wings spreading out, and its head rested atop the robot, its beak opening wide to reveal a humanoid head inside. The five Rangers found their cockpits sliding back to the head, becoming one large cockpit.

"_**Gaia Megazord, power up!**_" the five cried as the robot came to life, curling its steel fingers into fists.

The Werelion Lightless roared at its foes' united form, which stood as tall as it now. It ran in close and slashed the Megazord hard across the chest, causing it to take a single step back, but leaving the robot generally unharmed.

"Our turn!" Dirk yelled. "Hit him, girls!"

"**Phoenix Peck!**" Nikki called, the Megazord giving the Lightless a right hook filled with fire in the face.

"**Thunder Caw!**" Madilyn shouted as the Gaia Megazord followed up with a left hook, nailing the Werelion in the face with an electricity filled punch.

"**Levia Bite!**" Layla cried, the Gaia Megazord spinning on its left foot before delivering a roundhouse kick with the right, the Leviathan Zord's jaws filled with ice that bit down on the monster as it connected. The Werelion Lightless crashed to the ground, rolling to its knees as it tried to get up.

"Alley-opp, Pat?" Dirk asked, getting a nod from the Green Ranger.

"Let's tame this lion!" Patrick suggested as the Hippogriff Zord's wings spread out wide, the Gaia Megazord leaping up and sailing through the air. It swooped down at the Lightless, power flowing into its fists from all five Zords.

"_**Storm Punch!**_" the five called as the Gaia Megazord slammed the monster with a flying double punch of fire and lightning, sending the Lightless sailing through the air before crashing and rolling across the ground, sparking with damage. Finally, after a few moments, it collapsed in a massive explosion, black smog rising up into the sky before it dissolved into nothingness.

"Alright!" Madilyn cheered as the five hooped and hollered, exchanging high fives and fist bumps.

"You lose again, Walker!" Nikki shouted, hoping the Shadowmancer could hear her.

* * *

Walker sat in his chair, watching as his sister limped in. Her armour had dents and dings all over, her sword was covered in scratches, and she had a scar over her right eye that was only now just beginning to heal with dark energies. She sat in her own chair, opposite of her brother, trying not to match his glance. Walker just folded his arms, tapping his fingers on his elbow.

"...Go ahead!" Darkea finally said.

"I'm not fixing your armour," Walker told her. "Also, you're going to learn Shadowmancy, even if it destroys you."

"Well, y'know, to be fair, they only won out there because of teamwork," Darkea replied, squirming a little. "And I just think that if we were to work on our teamwork a bit in the field-"

"I will raise our mother and get HER to make you learn Shadowmancy," Walker threatened.

"Wow, I suddenly feel like hitting the books!" Darkea proclaimed, getting up and walking over to a stack of books as quickly as she could.

* * *

Nikki sighed, laying her head back against her pillow, resting in bed. After a hard day's work, both repelling the bad guys and helping the Night Elves erect a force field around their village, she was glad to finally call it a night. She looked around at the beds about her, as Patrick laid in the one beneath her, Dirk was on the top bunk across from her, and Layla and Madilyn shared the bed underneath him. It seemed it was just as Madilyn had said: Yes, they bickered and fought a lot, to the point where people on the outside looking in might think they hated each other, but they were honestly the best of friends when it mattered most.

"Makes me envious," Nikki admitted, getting everyone's attention. "You guys. You can be so hostile towards each other, and it doesn't even touch how close you are. I've never had a group of friends that tight."

"Well, fearless leader, in case it hasn't occurred to you already, you do now," Patrick corrected, only to be stunned when Layla threw a pillow at his head. "What the-?!"

"Madilyn didn't have a clear enough shot," Layla said quickly, looking apologetic as Madilyn laid back with her arms crossed behind her head, smirking cockily.

"That's it," Patrick said, smiling deviously as he got out of bed and belly-flopped into the bed across from him. "Hippogriff Flop!"

"Do I need to separate you two?!" Nikki demanded, trying to hold back the giggles as Patrick and Madilyn engaged in the wimpiest slap-fest she had ever seen.

"You know you wanna," Dirk noted.

Nikki smiled, getting out of bed and scurrying down the steps of the bunk-beds to get in the middle of the two, pulling them apart by their ears. From the other side of the door, Jowar listened to the five and their antics, chuckling to himself as he knew they'd be alright. He walked back to the main chamber, suddenly stopping as he entered, stroking his beard as a thought struck his mind.

_Five of them,_ he pondered. _But there were SIX Guardians in ancient times, weren't there? I suppose it could be a mistake, but...if there WAS a sixth Guardian, then what became of their crystal?_

* * *

Drayden groaned as he felt the conscious world come back to him. He dragged himself to his feet, feeling something in his hand: The indigo crystal that was embedded in the dragon statue. He looked around, seeing himself on grey stone in the middle of a dense, grey fog, his father nowhere to be seen. The ground was littered with dull, grey crystals, and sticking out of it was a large, two-handed sword, the hilt of which was emblazoned with an emblem resembling a dragon's eye.

"Hello?!" he called out, not noticing an ink-black figure emerge from behind the sword in the ground. "Is anybody out there?!"

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ So, as you can probably tell, Drayden and his father are gonna have a bigger story in all of this as time goes by. But let's not spoil anything yet. Instead, let's talk about the Gaia Zords!

Nikki's Gaia Zord is the Phoenix Zord. While it isn't the central Zord in their combination, instead becoming the right arm, it is nonetheless the one that ties the group together, as its head is the basis for the shape of the Crystal Blast Morphers. The Phoenix Zord tends to hide atop the tallest mountains of Gaia when not on call for a mission. It can breathe fireballs, rake its talons across foes, and coat itself in flames for high-speed flying tackles.

Patrick's Gaia Zord is the Hippogriff Zord, which is usually hiding out in the clouds before being summoned to help out. It can use high-speed barrel and aileron rolls to whip up whirlwinds, and can stomp down on foes with its hooves. It forms the head and part of the back of the Gaia Megazord, and gives it wings.

Layla's Gaia Zord is the Leviathan Zord, a giant sea serpent that usually rests between battles in one of Gaia's many lakes and oceans. However, it's no slouch on land, slithering across the ground too fast for most opponents to catch. It also moves through the water like a jet flies through the air, and fires ice blasts from its mouth at enemies. The Leviathan Zord also forms the hips, legs, and feet of the Gaia Megazord.

Dirk's Gaia Zord is the Behemoth Zord, a large quadruped that prefers to use the dense forests of Gaia as its hiding place. It has long, curved horns that it uses to ram foes like a bull, and can fire the tips like missiles. It can also stomp the ground to cause small earthquakes. The Behemoth Zord forms the torso of the Gaia Megazord.

Madilyn's Gaia Zord is the Thunderbird Zord, which generally hides in thunderclouds between missions. It can fly high speeds, launch thunderbolt-like feathers out of its wings, and shoot blasts of electricity from its eyes. The Thunderbird Zord forms the left arm of the Gaia Megazord.

Finally, all five Gaia Zords, through the use of the Unity Crystals, can combine into the Gaia Megazord, a giant robot controlled by the Gaia Rangers. I used the Ninja MegaFalconzord as a base for the design (although without a sixth Zord forming the head, giving the Hippogriff Zord double duty), and it thus has similar dimensions. It can fly through the air with the wings provided by the Hippogriff Zord, and is capable of a number of attacks that utilize the different Zords that form it. However, its finishing blow is the Storm Punch, a flying double punch of fire and electricity that funnels the energy of all five Zords into its fists.

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, Layla gets to work on analyzing and upgrading the team's equipment, but is that enough to stop the newest Lightless to attack? Ja né!


	4. Just Communication

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

_One has to wonder how the Gaians, having existed so long ago, had such advanced technology, the likes of which they used to create the Gaia Zords and the rest of the Guardians' equipment. Still, a more intriguing thought I've had for many years was whether a modern human mind, filled with the knowledge of all the technological wonders we've achieved, would be a benefit or a detriment to such technology._

* * *

Layla smiled, wiping the sweat from her brow as she admired her handiwork. Sure, it'd taken her most of the night to finish them, but she did it: Five silver bracelets, each with a maroon-coloured crystal embedded into them, with a phoenix emblem carved around the crystals. The phoenix had two smaller gems for eyes: One yellow, one blue. This was just the kind of accessory the team had needed since arriving in Gaia, and now that they had them, it was going to make their work MUCH easier.

"Morning, sis!" Madilyn called as she and the others entered the main chamber of the Ancient Library. "Is that project of yours finished?"

Layla smiled. "You bet! Check 'em out!"

The other four walked over to see the bracelets, Dirk scratching his head in confusion. "So, what are these for?"

"Those bracelets are fixed with Communication Crystals," Jowar declared, entering the room. "They will allow you to keep in contact with each other and myself, no matter where you are in Gaia."

"I also had Jowar enchant the bracelets themselves with his teleportation spell," Layla continued, setting one of the bracelets on her wrist. "Now, no matter where we are, we can teleport to each other, to the Ancient Library, and anywhere else we want."

"Although the latter requires that someone be here to select said location on the globe," Jowar noted as the others all took one of the bracelets and put them on.

"Awesome!" Madilyn exclaimed. "I can't wait to try 'em out in the field!"

"Y'know, we should probably do a quick test with these right away," Patrick pointed out, "while things are relatively quiet."

"Good idea," Nikki commented. "Who wants to play guinea pig?"

Dirk scratched his chin, thinking. "Here's a nice, simple test: How's about I stand at the other end of the room, then teleport to you guys?"

"Sounds simple enough," Layla replied. "Just picture the person you wanna teleport to, then press the yellow gem."

Dirk gave a quick thumbs up, running over to the other end of the room. Once there, he did as instructed, creating a mental image of Nikki in his mind, then pressing the yellow gem. In an instant, he found himself being transported as an orange ray of light. However, instead of appearing next to Nikki, he found himself coming out of teleport atop the tall bookshelves to her right, several feet above the group. Dirk gave a quick yelp, nearly tumbling off the shelves and having to cling to it to keep from falling.

"Oh shoot!" Layla cursed. "THAT wasn't supposed to happen!"

"YA THINK?!" Dirk shouted from atop the bookshelves. "SOMEONE GET ME DOWN!"

"Hang on, Dirk!" Nikki yelled, running to grab one of the ladders used for reaching the higher books.

Layla sighed, slumping back into her chair. "Back to square one, I guess..."

* * *

Darkea groaned, being forcibly handed the Dark Staff of the Wyvern by her brother. "Are you SURE this is a good idea?"

"Quit complaining and just try it already!" Walker insisted as a group of Blots formed up before her. One of them was holding a Lightless figurine, shaking rather nervously as he and his group were summoned to become the test subjects for Darkea's first attempt at awakening a monster.

Darkea gulped holding the staff up. "Alright then. Dark Staff of the Wyvern, funnel the darkness, and awaken the Lightless from its slumber!"

Concentrating hard, Darkea could feel the staff bend the dark energies of the Blots to her will. Soon, all but the Blot holding the figurine were turned to black vapor, which was poured into the figurine. It then rose up out of the Blot's hands and melted into its face, causing it to grow a bit until its new body burst out in dark smog. It was an ant, with two stick-like legs, four narrow but powerful arms, sharp-looking mandibles, and a pair of antennae that emitted a dark light from their tips.

"Aha!" Darkea cried. "I did it!"

Walker rolled his eyes. "Tch. Yes, you managed to awaken an ANT. That's far and away from the sort of legendary creatures I've been setting against the Power Rangers."

Darkea smirked darkly. "Oh, dear brother, you have NO idea what THIS ant is capable of. I can assure you that what it lacks in legendary stature and feats, it more than makes up for in raw power, something the Rangers are going to learn very soon..."

"GRAAAAH!" the Ant Lightless roared, flexing its arms and gritting its mandibles. "Let me at those weaklings in the light! I'll make my colony out of those holes they call towns!"

* * *

Nikki let out a hard sigh as she entered the main chamber from her work-out, a towel draped over the back of her neck. She looked over at Layla, still working away at the bracelets. She'd been at this for nearly 11 hours now, with only occasional drinks and snacks to keep her fueled. If she didn't get some sleep soon, she was going to collapse, and Nikki knew this. Madilyn, who was seated near Nikki while reading a book on the Gaian Crystals, quickly caught her glance, putting a hand on Nikki's shoulder and shaking her head.

"Forget it," she said. "It doesn't matter what you say to her, she will not stop. Trust me, I know my sis like the back of my hand, and once she gets to work inventing something, no one and nothing can keep her from achieving her goal, especially after a mess-up like earlier."

Nikki sighed. "I get that the communicators didn't work quite right, but-"

"No, you don't get it," Madilyn cut her off. "Sure, Dirk wound up on the bookshelves and even HE thinks it was hilarious in retrospect, but to Layla, all she can think about is how that could've turned out so much worse. I mean, far as she knows, he could've materialized INSIDE the bookshelves, he could've been buried underground, he could've had his body merged with yours in some freaky Nikki/Dirk hybrid-looking-"

"Okay, okay, I got it!" Nikki insisted, holding her hands up and looking ill. "Thanks for the nightmare fuel. I may never sleep again after that."

Suddenly, the torches around the room began burning much brighter as the alarm went off throughout the Ancient Library. Within seconds, Dirk, Patrick, and Jowar entered the room, Jowar going to observe the viewing globe. Said globe showed the image of a group of centaur knights outside a town with tall, stone walls erected around it, attempting to fight off a horde of Blots marching toward the giant doors leading inside. Elven archers were attempting to keep the Blots at bay, but they kept coming, while the Elves were running low on arrows.

"Those Blots won't stop!" Patrick observed. "Where the heck are they coming from?"

"The Blots in that area have always been large in number due to an imbalance of light and dark energies that pass through there," Jowar explained. "Of course, the defenses for that town have always been able to repel them. It seems that the Shadowmancers are granting the Blots there additional numbers for one big attack."

"Walker and Darkea," Nikki observed. "Guess they haven't learned we're not going anywhere anytime soon."

Layla sighed, getting up from the table. "FINE. I can finish these when I get back..."

Nikki nodded, the five getting into formation as Jowar teleported them just behind a group of centaur knights trying to fight off the Blot hordes. "Let's take 'em out, guys! **It's Morphin Time!**"

The team ran forward, pulling their crystals from their chains and unholstering their Crystal Blast Morphers. As they reached the centaurs, they leaped up and flipped off their backs, inserted the crystals into their blasters, and pulled the triggers while yelling, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The rainbow coloured blasts shot out, knocking the lead Blots away, before twisting back around and coating the team with energy, their Ranger suits materializing as they landed on the ground.

"Guardian of Fi-!" Nikki started to yell, before Dirk grabbed her by the arms.

"Whoa, whoa, maybe we should wait for THESE guys to get out from behind us?" the Orange Ranger suggested, hiking a thumb at the centaurs behind them.

"How come?" Madilyn inquired.

"Well, 'cuz of the random flashes and explosions?" Dirk suggested, getting odd looks from everyone. "...You aren't honestly gonna tell me you never noticed? C'mon, every time we do our roll call, there's all these lights that go off around us, followed by these gigantic explosions! How am I the only one to notice that?"

"I guess it just never registered with me?" Patrick admitted, rubbing the back of his helmet as the centaurs cleared out from behind them.

"H-How can you NOT notice the five-story explosions going off and just missing your butt?!" Dirk demanded.

"Guys, they're forming up," Layla pointed out, the hordes of Blots regaining their bearings.

"Sure are a lot of 'em," Nikki observed, grinning as she got an idea. "Say, Dirk? How big are those explosions?"

Dirk smirked, getting where she was going. "Oh yes, VERY big."

"That's all I needed to hear!" the Red Ranger yelled, flipping into the middle of a group of Blots. "Guardian of Fire! Red Gaia Ranger!"

With this cry, a series of red ember-like lights burned around her, scorching the Blots that gathered around her. The others smiled as they leaped into their own packs of Blots, keeping a fair distance from each other.

"Guardian of Wind!" Patrick called as green whirlwind of light whipped up, knocking the Blots back. "Green Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Water!" Layla shouted as blue watery light soaked the Blots down. "Blue Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Earth!" Dirk roared as orange sand-like light came off the dirt and stung the Blots in their eyes. "Orange Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Lightning!" Madilyn called as violet light crackled across the Blots like lightning. "Violet Gaia Ranger!"

The five all struck a group pose as a large silver flash of light came up around them, followed by five rainbow coloured explosions that sent the Blots flying in every direction. "_**Power Rangers, Guardians of Gaia!**_"

"**Gaia Sabers!**" Nikki yelled, the Rangers drawing their short sword side-arms. The Red Ranger immediately went to work slashing, shooting, and kicking anything that looked like a bad Rorschach test that came near her. Finally, one caught her blade, only for her to leap up, kick another Blot in the eye, and shoot two more before landing on her feet, retaking her blade, and stabbing the last Blot in the eye, destroying it. Looking ahead, she spotted Layla trying her best to fend off Blots, still not used to close-quarters combat and losing her grip on her Gaia Saber.

"Hang on, Layla!" Nikki cried, leaping over and tossing her blaster to the Blue Ranger, who caught it and began unloading on the Blots with Fire and Water blasts. Nikki scooped up her fallen Gaia Saber, looking around until she spotted Patrick ducking and weaving around foes. "Pat! Switch up?!"

The Green Ranger nodded, tossing his Crystal Blast Morpher over as she threw her Gaia Saber to him. The two caught each other's weapons, Patrick spinning and cutting with the dual swords while Nikki slashed and blasted Blots down. Layla wrapped up the last of the Blots around the three by laying down fire on their foes, taking them all down.

"Remind me to add that to our strategy memos back at base!" Layla said as the three gave each other their proper weapons back.

Meanwhile, Madilyn and Dirk were cleaning up their group of Blots, sending several more running for the hills. Just as they were starting to feel good about that, though, the Blots began to form up behind a much larger monster marching toward the two, its four arms flexing and its mandibles pinching together threateningly.

"So, these are the Power Rangers I've heard about?!" the Ant Lightless demanded. "And people call ants 'little insects'!"

"An ANT Lightless?" Madilyn inquired. "Huh, that's different. Oh well, let's kick its butt!"

"Madilyn, wait!" Dirk cried as the Violet Ranger charged the monster. "If it's like actual ants, it probably can-!"

"**Lightning Daggers!**" Madilyn shouted, ignoring the Orange Ranger and lunging at the monster. Unfortunately, she was quickly caught in the Ant Lightless' hands by her wrists and ankles and was raised high up into the air. The Ant then slashed its mandibles across her front, and tossed her to the ground, right back where she started. The Violet Ranger groaned as she felt herself demorphing, her suit dematerializing.

"...Can lift around 50 times its own body weight," Dirk finished, helping his friend back up. "Had a lot of ants on the farm that'd steal grain for the animals."

"Noted," Madilyn grunted, wincing.

"SIS!" Layla screamed as the others joined the two. "Are you okay?!"

"Please, like that thing could hurt me," Madilyn boasted, all too clearly faking.

"You jerk!" Layla shouted, looking to the monster. "I'm gonna squash this bug! **Flood Launcher!**"

The Blue Ranger brought out her massive blaster, opening fire on the Ant Lightless with tidal wave-like blasts of energy. However, to her shock, the monster just held its hands out, actually catching the blasts before shoving them back at the group, knocking them all onto their backsides.

"Is that the best you got?!" the Ant Lightless taunted. "My great-ant could bench bigger grains than you guys!"

Madilyn growled, getting back to her feet and firing her Crystal Blast Morpher, returning to her morphed state. "Guys, let's try the Gaia Blaster!"

"No!" Layla yelled, holding her sister back. "That thing's too strong! It'll just send it right back at us!"

"Well, you're the smart one, you figure out how to get a hit in!" Madilyn suggested.

"I...!" Layla stammered, trying to think. "...I-I don't know!"

* * *

Darkea grinned evilly, watching everything unfold with her brother in the black flames of their fireplace. "Alright, now for Phase Two: We make the Lightless and Blots grow, and then they can just squash the town and the Rangers flat!"

Walker blinked, confused. "...Wait, why didn't we OPEN with that?"

"I...don't know," Darkea admitted. "Whatever, just do it!"

"Tch, whatever," Walker growled, raising his staff over the fireplace. "Dark Staff of the Wyvern, make our forces grow!"

The wyvern head atop Walker's staff opened its jaw, spewing a thick, black smog out and into the fire, causing it to grow larger. Walker and Darkea laughed evilly as the flame burned bigger and hotter, feeling the Ant Lightless' energy expand out in the field of battle.

* * *

The Ant Lightless roared as a dark cloud formed overhead, funneling black flames into its body that caused it to grow in size and power. Likewise, several Blots were caught in the flame, turning from an army of several dozen smaller Blots into four giant-sized ones. The giant monsters growled menacingly at the Rangers, who immediately backed off, pulling their crystals from their morphers and placing them in their Gaia Sabers instead.

"**_We need Gaia Zord power, now!_**" the team yelled, raising their swords to the sky.

"Red Phoenix Gaia Zord, power up!" Nikki called, her saber releasing out a red stream of light toward a nearby mountain, the Phoenix Zord taking off from the top of it with flames trailing off of its wings.

"Green Hippogriff Gaia Zord, power up!" Patrick shouted, a green beam firing from his sword into some nearby clouds, the Hippogriff Zord as it barrel rolled out of them.

"Blue Leviathan Gaia Zord, power up!" Layla exclaimed, her Gaia Saber releasing a blue blast into the lake, the Leviathan Zord lifting its neck out the water and roaring.

"Orange Behemoth Gaia Zord, power up!" Dirk cried, his sword launching an orange beam out and into the forest, the Behemoth Zord stomping out of it with its massive legs.

"Violet Thunderbird Gaia Zord, power up!" Madilyn summoned, sending a violet stream of light up out of her sword to create a thundercloud in the sky, the Thunderbird Zord sailing out of it.

"Let's get 'em!" Nikki shouted, leaping up to her Gaia Zord, as the others did their own. The five were all caught in beams of light fired out by their Zords, teleporting them directly into the Gaia Zord cockpits.

"Rangers, log on!" Nikki ordered, plugging in her weapons in their slots.

"Green Ranger, feeling lucky!" Patrick replied.

"Blue Ranger, all systems go!" Layla responded.

"Orange Ranger, ready to action!" Dirk shouted.

"I'm the _**Ex**_terminator, and 'I'll be back'!" Madilyn joked.

The five Gaia Zords split up, going for their respective targets. The Thunderbird Zord flapped its wings hard, firing thunderbolt-like feathers from its wings and destroying one Blot, just as the Phoenix Zord blew the one next to it away with fireballs fired from its beak. The Leviathan Zord used its long body to trip up the remaining two Blots, giving the Hippogriff Zord the chance to swoop down and stomp its hooves into their eyes, destroying both.

"All four Blots down and out!" Nikki noted. "Dirk, how are you handling the monster?"

"Not so great!" Dirk replied as the Ant Lightless actually lifted the Behemoth Zord up off the ground by its horns, swinging it around like a rag doll. "Getting a little air sick!"

"HA!" the Ant Lightless laughed. "Your Behemoth Zord is just an overgrown cow! I'M a REAL powerhouse!"

"Hang on, Dirk!" Pat yelled, sending the Hippogriff Zord into an aileron roll that created a whirlwind around itself, steering it for the Ant Lightless. To his astonishment, though, the monster simply reached out one of its free arms to punch the Hippogriff Zord in the beak, knocking it back before finally dropping the Behemoth Zord.

"Next?!" the Ant Lightless offered.

"Gladly!" Nikki answered, the Phoenix Zord coating itself in flames before swooping down at the monster, only to have its wings caught with its opponent's lower arms. The Thunderbird Zord opened fire with thunderbolts firing from its eyes, the Ant Lightless swatting them away with its remaining hands. However, with its attention distracted, Leviathan Zord was able to blast it with icy breath, the Phoenix Zord likewise heaving flames from its beak into its front. This combination was enough to cause the monster to release the Phoenix Zord.

"I've had enough of this ant!" Madilyn shouted. "Let's make it wish it never crawled out of its colony!"

"Rangers, power up your Unity Crystals!" Nikki ordered, pressing her buckle and calling forth her rainbow-coloured crystal.

"_**Right!**_" the Rangers shouted back as they brought out their own Unity Crystals, switching out the crystals in their sabers for them. "_**Gaia Zords, combine!**_"

The five Gaia Zords immediately formed up, Behemoth Zord shifting its body around to form the torso of the Megazord. The Leviathan Zord latched onto the Behemoth Zord, becoming the hip, legs, and feet. The Phoenix and Thunderbird Zords curled their wings and talons in, forming the right and left arms and hands. Last of all, the Hippogriff Zord landed on the back, spread its wings out, and rested its head atop the robot, its beak opening to form the head. The five Rangers and their cockpits slid back to the head, becoming one bigger cockpit.

"_**Gaia Megazord, power up!**_" the five yelled, the giant robot coming to life.

"Gimme your best shot, Rangers!" the Ant Lightless shouted, looking undaunted.

"**Thunder Caw!**" Madilyn called, the Gaia Megazord throwing a left hook, only for the Ant Lightless to block the electrical punch.

"**Levia Bite!**" Layla cried, the Megazord spinning on its left foot before throwing a roundhouse kick with the right, the Ant Lightless again blocking by holding the Leviathan Zord's icy jaws closed. It then grabbed the other arm and leg in its unoccupied hands, lifting the giant robot off of the ground with relative ease. It then opened its mandibles wide, looking to bring them down on the Gaia Megazord's neck.

"Not this time!" Patrick shouted. "**Griff Gust!**"

The Gaia Megazord's eyes suddenly fired a pair of green, swirling energy beams, cutting across the Ant Lightless' face. The monster released the Gaia Megazord, stumbling back in pain as the Rangers finally managed to get a shot in.

"**Behemazooka**!" Dirk roared, the Behemoth Zord's jaws opened on the chest of the Megazord, letting loose an orange orb of energy that rammed into the Ant Lightless hard. It shoved the monster back quite a ways before the monster finally got all four hands under the orb and tossed it up into the air, where it exploded harmlessly.

"Dangit, those arms are too much!" Dirk cursed, pounding his console.

"Yeah, well, it may have four arms, but there's FIVE of us!" Madilyn insisted.

Layla blinked as a light-bulb suddenly went off in her head. "The five of us...Guys! Disassemble Megazord!"

"HUH?!" Patrick exclaimed. "The Megazord's the only thing big and bad enough to take this guy!"

"No, we're TOO big!" Layla countered. "We're too big a target, and against something that can toss us around like a big sack of rusty nails, that's not helping! But five targets instead of one, even with less power, might be able to do what we can't as one target!"

"I got'cha!" Nikki said with a smile. "We each take an arm..."

"And then Dirk lines up the final shot!" Layla finished.

"See, that IS better than anything I could come up with!" Madilyn exclaimed. "Told ya so!"

"Uh-huh, let's just blow this thing so we can go home!" Dirk said with a chuckle.

"_**Gaia Megazord, power down!**_" the Rangers yelled, the giant robot separating into its five smaller Zords. Just as the Ant Lightless was too stunned by this move, the Gaia Zords rushed it with their best attacks. The monster threw its fists out, looking to swat them all away, but at the last second, the Phoenix, Thunderbird, Leviathan, and Hippogriff Zords all opened their jaws wide and bit down on the Ant Lightless' hands.

"GAHHH!" the Ant Lightless roared in pain. "What are you doing?!"

"Finishing you off!" Nikki replied as the four Zords slowly managed to pull the arms apart from each other. "Dirk, NOW!"

"You got it!" Dirk yelled. "I've had enough of this monster's _**ant**_ics!"

The Behemoth Zord roared, firing the tips of its horns like missiles at the Ant Lightless. The monster tried to intercept with its mandibles, only for them to be blown clean off in the ensuing twin explosions. It stumbled backward as the other Rangers released it, black mist and embers pouring from where its mandibles had been.

"What the-?!" Nikki stammered.

"What's happening to it?" Layla demanded.

* * *

Walker's eye twitched, turning to face his sister slowly as a VERY angry frown spread across his face. "...Darkea...!"

Darkea gave a nervous grin, scratching the back of her head. "Uhh, yeah, keeping the energy contained in a Lightless was pretty hard, and then I found out how tough the Ant Lightless' mandibles are, so I kinda just stored it all in there. I didn't really think they'd get past the arms and hit them, though."

"You IDIOT!" Walker shouted, knocking her on the head with his staff. "How COULD you?!"

* * *

"Quick, while it's weakened!" Nikki ordered. "**Gaia Megazord, Storm Punch!**"

The Gaia Zords all leaped up into the air, recombining into the Gaia Megazord before swooping down at the Ant Lightless. The giant robot leveled it with two hard punches filled with fire and lightning, sending it crashing to the ground before a giant wisp of dark flames poured out of its body, causing it to shrink down to size. It groaned as it got back to its feet, looking to make a get-away, only for the Rangers to suddenly drop down in its path.

"Payback time!" Nikki declared, bringing out her Heat Bow. "Let's bring 'em together!"

The rest of the team immediately brought out their own weapons at this command. Dirk set his Quake Ax blunt end down on Layla's Flood Launcher, Nikki's Heat Bow connecting between the two. Patrick then disconnected the two halves of his Storm Lance, he and Madilyn connecting them and her Lightning Daggers onto the bow.

"_**Gaia Blaster!**_" the Rangers yelled, holding the massive weapon up and aiming it at the Ant Lightless, who was holding his hands out defensively. "_**FIRE!**_"

Pulling the trigger, Layla fired a massive rainbow-coloured blast of their five elements at the monster. Despite his best attempts to hold the blast back, his loss of power made it all to easy for the beams to make it through and blast him hard in the chest, causing him to collapse in a large explosion. A black cloud of smoke rose up from where his body once stood, quickly evaporating into the air with the final cry of "I was supposed to be the REAL powerhouse!"

"Sorry, but there's more to fighting than pure power!" Layla replied as the group pulled their weapons apart. "It takes BRAINS!"

* * *

"Yes, it does," Walker noted, turning away from the fireplace. "Something YOU lack, Darkea! No more Lightless for you!"

Darkea moaned, still down to a knee and clutching her head. "Yeah, well, YOUR monsters haven't done much better! I'd like to see YOU beat the Rangers next time!"

Walker smirked evilly, glancing over his shoulder at his sister. "Oh, you still haven't figured it out. How sad."

"Figured WHAT out?" Darkea demanded, getting back to her feet.

"This little experiment was just a means of collecting data on the Rangers," Walker explained, walking over to the cabinet filled with Lightless figurines. "Their weapons, their tactics, and their adaptability on the field. I now have their every move committed to memory."

Darkea scoffed. "Yeah, a lot of good THAT does someone who never got into a fight once in their life."

"True, true," Walker admitted, opening the cabinet and pulling out a figurine. "But the monster I'm going to summon next will be able to take all of my knowledge, and put it to use in the field. Next time, the Power Rangers will be destroyed so utterly, there won't be enough of them left to fill a teaspoon!"

* * *

"Okay, let's give this another try," Layla encouraged, sitting at the table in the main chamber of the Ancient Library.

"Someone wanna tell me why I'M the one testing the communicators out again?" Dirk demanded as he stood on the other side of the room. "I mean, couldn't Nikki get a shot this time?"

"Consider it payment for getting the last word in on the giant monster," Nikki suggested with a shrug. "Besides, you trust Layla, right?"

"Yeah, and I trust my pa, but if he asked me to climb a really tall ledge with no nets or ropes, I'd at least be a LITTLE hesitant," Dirk insisted.

"C'mon, there won't be any ledges this time," Layla assured him. "I figured out what went wrong, and I fixed it. Promise."

"Okay, okay," Dirk said with a sigh. Once again, he formed mental image of Nikki, then pressed the yellow gem on his communicator, shutting his eyes. When he opened them, he saw that he was, indeed, standing right beside Nikki, all in one piece.

"I-It worked!" Dirk proclaimed. "Man, that was awesome! I totally teleported! And I...suddenly feel a little less tense for some reason."

"Err, Dirk?" Patrick said, pointing over to where he was standing. "I think you lost something."

Dirk turned to look where Patrick was pointing, his face turning beat red. Sure enough, laying on the ground where he once was standing, was a pair of white boxer shorts with little red and orange hearts all over them. With a yelp, he immediately ran over and grabbed them, hiding them in his pocket as the others laughed.

"Okay, so I guess there's still SOME bugs to work out," Layla admitted, easing back into her chair.

"But hey, you got it working at least," Patrick insisted between chuckles.

"Yep, that's my ingenious little sister for ya!" Madilyn proclaimed. "So, any idea what you'll invent ne-"

Madilyn blinked in surprise as a quiet snoring came from her sister. Looking over, she saw that Layla had, in fact, fallen asleep in her chair. The team all smiled, Dirk rolling his eyes and gently scooping her up to take her to her bed. Nikki crossed her arms behind her head, watching as Layla was taken to the bedroom.

_Y'know, Layla's something special,_ the Red Ranger admitted to herself. _She can get kinda scatter-brained and stubborn when she makes mistakes, and she can be a little fragile in combat, but she's got a ton of heart, and knows her way any kind of tech, from Earth or Gaia. There's no one else I'd want as our Blue Ranger, and I just know we're in good hands with her working on our stuff._

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ So, I thought I'd talk a little bit about different inspirations for different characters, attacks, equipment, and whatnot in this story, as well as some of the original ideas I had and how they differ from how things turned out. First off, let's talk about inspirations for the characters. The decision to make the Red Ranger a girl was due to the existence of Lauren. I just like the idea of them having a team of three girls and two boys (even if it didn't last long), so I decided to do it here. Madilyn's character is largely inspired by Haruhi Suzumiya, in that she was head of their club and constantly thinks of herself as being in charge of the others, but she's a bit softer in that she at least is aware of when her friends are sad or depressed and will try to help. Likewise, Patrick is basically the Kyon to her Haruhi, being the one to constantly clash with her and her ideas. Otherwise, Patrick, Dirk, and Layla represent a few stereotypes, but I try to give them more beyond them, particularly their more awesome moments in battle.

The colour choices for the Ranger suits were based around the rainbow, and so that there would be two Rangers with different colours from the norm. That said, when I was forming this in my head, the original plan was to have Red be Wind, Green be Earth, and Orange be Fire, while instead of Violet for Lightning, it'd be Cyan for Ice. Instead, I went with the rainbow colours, and gave Ice to Layla as a spin-off of Water. Also, I originally planned the Zords to be a Red Falcon, Green Gorilla, Blue Sea Serpent, Orange Salamander, and Cyan Polar Bear, but I decided to go with legendary creatures instead.

The communicators are obviously a spin off of the ones from MMPR to Turbo, with a more mystical twist. The Crystal Blast Morphers, as I mentioned before, are a hybrid of sorts of the designs from Kyoryuger's (oh, sorry, Dino Charge) morphers and Kamen Rider W's Trigger Magnum. The Gaia Sabers are somewhat inspired by the Crystal Sabers from Wild Force, in that they summon the Zords when the crystals are placed in them, though the aspect of the team being able to mix and match side-arms with each other comes from Super Megaforce. The Gaia Blaster is more or less based off of the Power Blaster, as are the individual weapons, though the Flood Launcher has more in common with the Turbo Cannon from RPM in terms of sheer size.

One thing I should note about the Behemoth Zord is that it's very much inspired by the Behemoth Heartless from Kingdom Hearts. Sorry if that confused anyone, that's just what I tend to think of when I picture that Zord. Otherwise, as I said before, the Ninja MegaFalconzord was used as a base for the design of the Gaia Megazord (although with the Hippogriff Zord acting in place of the Falcon and Crane Ninja Zords), and it therefore has similar dimensions. The Storm Punch is also quite similar to its finishing attack, though it will be gaining new and more powerful attacks as time goes on.

Oh, and one last note: It's been brought to my attention that the reason ants can lift several times their own weight actually has more to do with the Square/Cube Law that allows them this feat BECAUSE they're so small. However, for the purposes of this story, the dark energy the Ant Lightless was filled with allowed it to bypass this law, effectively granting it such strength despite its size. The reason for keeping it an Ant Lightless is for the symbolism behind it. Also, this is Power Rangers, where spandex can apparently prevent someone from being sliced in half, instead sending sparks off the person's body. Logic got tossed out the window with the first episode.

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, Madilyn struggles with her continued image of herself as the leader of the team, while they find themselves facing a foe that knows their every move. The secret to defeating him may rest in Madilyn's hands, as well as in a new Gaia Zord. Ja né!


	5. Second Guessing Second Best

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

_Despite the fact that there were only five recorded Guardians of Gaia, each with their own Gaia Zord, there seems to be a number of historical documents and finds related to Gaia and the Zords suggesting that there were more creatures among them than just the five: The Phoenix, Hippogriff, Leviathan, Behemoth, and Thunderbird. This seems to suggest the existence of more than five Gaia Zords. Did they work as secondary partners to the Guardians? Perhaps they had their own Guardian partners that were destroyed prior? And how exactly did they assist the team?_

* * *

Just a few yards off a shore, a group of a couple dozen Blots were dragging a pair of large cages hooked to iron chains. Inside the cages were a group of merfolk, unable to try and escape and finding themselves overheating outside of the much cooler lake they had been in previously. Unfortunately, these Blots had caught them off-guard while enjoying a nice day's swim to the surface, and with no weapons to protect themselves with, they were quickly incapacitated enough to be put in these cages.

As the cages were dragged into the woods, one merman with spiky red hair reached up for the lock keeping his group's cage locked, but was far too slow, quickly caught by a Blot. The dark creature grabbed hold of the merman's wrist tightly, causing him to cry out in pain, only for his attention to instead be called toward the Blot's other claw, which was raised up over his head, looking to come down on him. Just before it could, though, the Blot's head was slammed into the iron bars of the cage, causing him to release the merman, then was hauled off by a figure in red and black clothes: A human girl, no doubt one of the Guardians of Gaia.

"Hands off, Blots!" Nikki shouted before pulling her blaster out and shooting down another pair of Blots. Just as the rest turned their attention on her, though, Patrick dove down from the trees, wrapping his legs around one and flipping it into two more. As the two went to work fighting the Blots, Madilyn leaped down in front of a cage, kicking the Blots closest to it in their eyes, destroying them.

"Hey, I thought we agreed I would give the signal!" Madilyn whined, drawing her blaster and firing away on more Blots.

"Actually, I'm fairly certain you cut us off before we could say 'nay'!" Patrick shouted back, grabbing the top of the other cage and swinging up onto the roof, kicking a Blot away in the process.

"Besides, couldn't wait for a signal this time!" Nikki noted, chopping a Blot in the neck before flip-kicking it into a tree. She landed perfectly onto her feet, raising her communicator to her face and pressing the blue gem. "Team 1 to Team 2, what's your status?!"

* * *

Layla ducked behind a wooden crate, avoiding nail-shots from the Blots on the docks she and Dirk were on. As her compatriot hurled one Blot off the docks and into the bay, she held up her communicator and replied, "Could be better! We've definitely got their attention!"

"Why the heck are they even attacking this place, anyway?!" Dirk demanded, pulling up a Blot as a shield from more nail-shots. "What's in these crates that are so important?!"

"Food for the gnome village they've been attacking!" Layla yelled, drawing her blaster and shooting down some Blots. "They're trying to wear their defenders down by starving them!"

Dirk's eyes narrowed angrily. "Oh, that's just CHEAP!"

Without warning, Dirk immediately grabbed hold of the wooden railing around the docks and pried it clean off, charging the group with his new battering ram. Layla could only watch on in amazement and a little bit of fear as Dirk proceeded to wail on the Blots in a rather angry fashion, beating them all down with his stick and knocking them all into the bay.

"...Okay, starting to make progress," Layla muttered into her communicator. "We'll meet you back at base once we've finished cleaning these guys up."

* * *

"Got'cha!" Nikki replied, crane kicking a Blot in the eye and watching as another squad came charging in. "Let's wrap this up, you guys! **It's Morphin Time!**"

Patrick and Madilyn nodded as the three pulled their crystals from their chains, inserting them into their Crystal Blast Morphers. As more Blots charged in, the team pulled the triggers, yelling, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The red, green, and violet blasts launched forward, knocking a few Blots back, before spiraling around and coating the three with energy, their Ranger suits materializing.

"**Heat Sabers!**" the Red Ranger called, bringing out her twin swords as she ran in and cut a pair of Blots down immediately.

"**Storm Lance!**" the Green Ranger cried, summoning his lance as he dove in, knocking three Blots down in a single swing.

"**Lightning Daggers!**" the Violet Ranger shouted, pulling out her daggers and stabbing them into a pair of Blots, destroying them.

With most of the Blots gone, the rest formed up into a group, looking to charge the three, Madilyn observing in exasperation. "Don't these guys ever quit?"

"Nope, and neither do we!" Nikki commented. "**Gaia Sabers!**"

At this command, the three all drew their short swords and inserted their crystals into them, causing them to glow in their respective colours. "_**Triple-mental Slash!**_"

The three Rangers slashed their Gaia Sabers forward, sending elemental slashes out that flew straight through the horde of Blots. The creatures all fell to the ground in a small explosion of dark mist. Nikki let herself smile a little, relieved they were gone.

"Alright, now let's get these merfolk to the safe zone," Nikki said to the two before turning her attention to said merfolk, cutting apart the locks on the cages. "Everyone, it's going to be alright. We're going to transport you to an undersea kingdom south of here. The Blots don't know it exists, and you might not be able to leave as often as you'd like, but you'll be safe there."

The merfolk all looked to each other, some a bit more concerned and untrusting than others, but after a few moments, all nodded to Nikki, who raised her communicator up. "Jowar, we're ready for transport."

Madilyn grumbled, rubbing her arm. "Man, why does she ALWAYS have to call the shots? I was leader WAY before she showed up..."

* * *

Layla shoved a crate into a Blot, knocking it over the side of the docks, only to turn to see more on the way. "Just when I was feeling good about actually kicking one's butt."

"Well, plenty of butts to kick now!" Dirk insisted with a smirk. "**It's Morphin Time!**"

The two pulled their crystals from their chains and inserted them into their Morphers, pulling the triggers and yelling, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" Two beams of blue and orange shot out, taking down a pair of Blots, then turned back around and coated the two with energy, their Ranger suits coming on.

"**Quake Ax!**" the Orange Ranger yelled, bringing his ax down on the wooden floor of the docks, sending a small tremor through it that shook the Blots hard.

"**Flood Launcher!**" the Blue Ranger shouted as she brought out her cannon, opening fire and sending wave-shaped blasts of energy out that destroyed most of the Blots, the rest being knocked clear off the docks to the beach they were built off of. "Let's finish 'em off! **Gaia Sabers!**"

Layla and Dirk both drew their short swords, inserting their crystals in the hilts and sending blue and orange glowing lights through the blades. "_**Double-mental Slash!**_"

The two Power Rangers swung their Gaia Sabers hard, sending a pair of elemental slices forward that cut through the remaining Blots, sending the creatures to the sand before evaporating into dark mist. Layla gave a hard sigh, exhausted. She felt Dirk put a hand to her shoulder, giving her a thumbs up.

"You did good back there," Dirk complimented. "You're getting stronger all the time."

Layla smiled and blushed a little under her helmet, giving the Orange Ranger a playful punch to the shoulder. "Thanks, Dirk. Let's get back to base."

* * *

Madilyn plopped down onto a comfy chair in the main chamber of the Ancient Library, exhausted. She didn't even bother to demorph, instead removing her helmet. Looking ahead, Nikki and Patrick were similarly in their Ranger suits, their helmets pulled off. Both looked a bit tuckered out as well, but were doing a better job of hiding it. Within moments, Dirk and Layla teleported into the main chamber, also taking off their helmets, Layla wiping the sweat from her forehead. Jowar immediately entered the room with a bowl of cool water and some wash cloths.

"Man, the Blots have been EVERYWHERE lately!" Layla exclaimed, rubbing the back of her neck. "This is the ninth attack this week!"

"It's a good thing you made these communicators, so we can split up to take multiple threats at once," Nikki noted, getting one of the wash cloths from Jowar.

"Yeah, but we're gonna have a serious problem if Walker and Darkea start sending Lightless," Dirk brought up, taking a seat.

Patrick ran a hand through his red hair. "Come to think of it, they haven't sent a single Lightless since the Ant. That was three days ago."

Jowar nodded, stroking his beard. "Yes, I've noticed. They're up to something, I'm certain of it."

Madilyn's eyes perked up. "Oh hey, Nikki! Show them what the merfolk gave us for saving them!"

Nikki blinked before snapping her fingers, having forgotten. "Oh right! Here..."

Reaching her open palm out, the Red Ranger revealed the item Madilyn was referring to: An aquamarine crystal, looking to be the same shape and size as their primary crystals. As she held it out, the Rangers couldn't help but feel like they could hear the sound of the ocean echoing off the walls of the main chamber.

"Whoa, a new crystal?!" Dirk demanded.

"They said they'd found it during mining on the ocean floor one day," Nikki explained, passing the crystal to Jowar. "What do you think?"

"It's most certainly genuine," Jowar confirmed, closing his eyes and reading the crystal's energy. "I can sense great power coming from it."

"So, what do you think it does?" Patrick wondered.

Madilyn grinned, springing out of her chair. "Why don't we put it in one of our swords and test it out?!"

Patrick spun around to face her, looking shocked. "Are you nuts?! We can't just go using a crystal without knowing what it does! It could unleash a proximity bomb attack or something for all you know!"

"No way!" Madilyn scoffed. "Hey, I thought I heard the ocean before, maybe it's tied to the water element? In that case, maybe Layla should try to figure it out!"

"I think it might be a good idea if we did more research on it," Layla suggested. "I mean, if it's a genuine Gaian Crystal, there's probably a book here somewhere that says what it does, right?"

Jowar nodded. "Absolutely. And since Madilyn is the most keen on learning about it, she can help me look for the information."

"Sounds like a plan," Nikki said. "And while you guys do that, I'll keep an eye on the Viewing Globe, in case Walker or Darkea try anything while you guys are busy."

* * *

Darkea growled, turning away from the black flames of the fireplace. "Blast it, Walker! They stopped two more of our operations! Are you just gonna-?!"

Darkea stopped, staring at her brother as he was turned away. Facing him was a dark blue furred Lightless, almost resembling a goblin mixed with an ape. It was holding its paws to either side of Walker's head, its eyes rolling into the back of its skull.

"...Okay, I'm just going to assume you two are having a much deeper conversation than it looks?" Darkea asked, confused.

"The Satori Lightless has the ability to read minds," Walker explained. "I'm transferring my photographic memory of the Rangers' fighting skills and weapons over to him. Of course, it's a lengthy procedure."

"You mean the past few attacks were diversions?" Darkea inquired.

"As well as a means to wear them out a bit," Walker added. "Leaving NOTHING to chance with this one."

"Well, haven't YOU thought of everything," Darkea said with a sneer.

Walker smirked evilly. "I'm through playing around with the Rangers, sister. I cannot allow them to grow any more powerful. This battle ends, NOW!"

Darkea drew her sword, recently repaired from her last battle. "Just save some of them for me, dear brother. I want a little payback on them for last time."

* * *

Madilyn moaned, closing another of the large books and placing it atop the pile she'd already read through. Her and Jowar had been at this for two hours, and were still no closer to finding out what the crystal did. Meanwhile, Layla and Patrick were taking the opportunity to take a short nap, Dirk was having lunch, and Nikki was still watching the Viewing Globe.

Madilyn's shoulders slumped as she watched Nikki. _Man, look at her, acting all awesome by keeping a constant vigil over Gaia, like she was Batman or something. Why does she always have to make it look so easy, being the leader? Why does everyone look at her like the head honcho instead of me? I put this group together._

"Madilyn?" Jowar asked, snapping the violet and pink streaked blonde out of her train of thought. "Is everything alright?"

Madilyn sighed, turning back to the books. "Jowar, you ever tried to do something, and then have someone else just swoop in and be better at it than you in every conceivable way possible?"

Jowar thought for a moment, stroking his beard. "Well, I'm the last of the wizards, and being a wizard is all I've ever tried to be...well, except for maybe a botanist, but no, I can't say as I have. Still, I can imagine that would be difficult."

Madilyn laid her head on her arms, Jowar peering over at Nikki and suddenly getting the idea. "Ah, I think I understand now: You're still feeling envious of Nikki because she's the leader of the Guardians of Gaia."

"Look, it's not like I don't like her or anything," Madilyn went on. "It's just...frustrating sometimes. I was the one in charge of this group before she came along."

"...If my understanding of the situation is correct, you literally dragged her kicking and screaming into your group," Jowar countered in a rather deadpan tone.

"Yeah, okay, but still, she couldn't at least have put in me in charge of Team 2?" Madilyn complained. "So I could look after my little sister while she was taking on a bunch of Blots without the whole team to back her up?"

"Madilyn, I don't know why Nikki selected the teams as she did," Jowar explained, "but I do know this: She had a reason."

"In the meantime, the rest of the team just thinks I'm some doofus with no good plans whatsoever..." Madilyn muttered, looking depressed.

"Guys, we got trouble!" Nikki called over, just before the alarm went off. "Blots attacking a beach to the south!"

Madilyn and Jowar immediately put down the books, running over to see. After a few moments, Layla, Patrick, and Dirk joined up with them, just as the Viewing Globe zoomed in on the southern beach. Gaians of various species were running in terror of the Blots, led by a Lightless resembling an overgrown ape of some sort.

"A monkey?" Layla asked. "They really ARE running out of ideas."

"That isn't a monkey," Jowar corrected. "That's the Satori Lightless. It's a fearsome monster, and has the limited ability to read minds. Be careful, Guardians. I have a feeling this may be some sort of trap."

"Got it," Nikki replied with a nod, the group all lifting their helmets overhead. "Back into action!"

With this, the Rangers all put their helmets back on, Jowar teleporting them to the beach. Upon arrival, the Blots immediately turned their attention to them, abandoning the chase of the elves, gnomes, and merfolk that were present. Several more suddenly ran out from the trees nearby, forming a circle around the group. The Satori Lightless likewise turned to face the Rangers and howled at them, clenching its claws together.

"Guess Jowar was right!" Patrick observed. "It's a trap!"

"Yeah, trap this!" Madilyn shouted as she stepped forward, pressing her buckle. "**Lightning Daggers!**"

The Violet Ranger drew her daggers and immediately hurled them out, chains of electricity connecting them to her hands as they flew out toward the Satori Lightless. However, long before they could make contact, the monster leaped over them, letting the daggers fry a pair of Blots before it drop-kicked Madilyn down into the sand with a surprised yelp.

"**Crystal Blast Morphers!**" Nikki ordered, the team drawing their blasters, even Madilyn as she laid in the dirt. The group opened fire on the Satori Lightless, who dodged long before they drew their weapons, the Blots around it getting shot down as it ducked and weaved around them. Meanwhile, the Blots behind the Rangers tried to get in sneak attacks, firing nail shots that knocked the Rangers off their feet, only to get blown down themselves.

"**Storm Lance!**" Patrick called out, pulling out his weapon and stabbing it down into the sand. He then leaped up and kicked off the Blots charging toward him, eventually essentially spinning on his lance and creating a green tornado that knocked down more Blots, all the while the other Rangers backed off. After a while, he flipped up, pulled the lance out, and then slammed it back down, sending up a whirlwind that took out most of the Blots, leaving only a dozen left along with the monster.

"Let's wipe 'em out!" Nikki commanded, the group aiming their blasters at the last of their enemies.

"**_Quintuple-mental Blast!_**" the Rangers yelled, releasing a combined blast of their five elements on the Blots. Unfortunately, just before they hit, the Satori Lightless flipped up, sprung off a pair of Blots' shoulders, and practically flew over the blast as it fried its compatriots. It then slashed the Rangers one after another as it came down to the beach again, sending them tumbling across the sand.

"Oh man, I'm still worn out from the last few fights!" Patrick moaned. "I can't take much more of this!"

"Dangit, what gives?!" Dirk demanded. "It's like he knows every move we'll make before we do!"

"That's because he does, you fool!"

The Rangers all looked over to the source of the voice: None other than Walker, making his way along the beach with his staff in hand, his sister Darkea at his side. The two just laughed mockingly at the team as they came closer, Darkea drawing her sword as she prepared for battle.

"I committed every last one of your skills, abilities, and tactics to memory, and then had the Satori Lightless copy it all from my mind!" Walker explained. "Now, it will be the ultimate instrument of your destruction, and we'll be here to take as many scraps as we can for ourselves!"

"And I plan on taking the BIGGEST scrap possible!" Darkea added, smirking evilly.

"Yeah, scrap THIS!" Dirk shouted. "**Quake Ax!**"

With a roar, the Orange slammed his ax into the ground, sending a small quake through it that shot up a sandstorm toward the evil duo. Walker and Darkea leaped up over it, only for Layla and Patrick to meet them in the air, clashing weapons with them.

"**Heat Sabers!**" Nikki yelled, drawing her twin blades and slashing at the Satori Lightless, only for it to deflect them with its claws and dropkick the Red Ranger in the chest, knocking her down.

"**Double-mental Blast!**" Madilyn screamed, firing hers and Nikki's blasters at the Satori Lightless, only for it to slash straight through them to her, sending her sailing back with sparks flying off her suit. "Ugh, this thing knows how to counter our every move!"

"And we're not at 100%, so we can't just power through!" Nikki groaned, getting back to her feet. "Madilyn, I need suggestions!"

"I...HUH?!" Madilyn stammered, dodging just in time to avoid a kick to the face, scrambling over to the Red Ranger.

"It knows every strategy I can think of!" Nikki explained. "We need something different, and you're the only one who can pull it off!"

"Since when have you thought I was any good to you in the field?!" Madilyn asked, the two leaping to their left as the Satori Lightless fired beams from its eyes that tore through the sand. The girls then ran to the trees, hoping to find some cover.

"What are you talking about?" Nikki inquired. "I've always valued your skills in combat."

"Yeah, like before?" Madilyn countered, not paying attention as the Satori Lightless drew closer to their position. "When you wouldn't even let me lead Team 2 to cover my sister?"

"Is that what you think that was?!" Nikki demanded. "That I was dissing you?!"

"If that wasn't it, than what was it?!" Madilyn shouted, getting in her leader's face, only for the tree they were ducked behind to get slashed in half by the Satori Lightless, causing them to scramble.

"Layla and Dirk were capable of handling the docks," Nikki rationalized, backing away from the Lightless cautiously with her Heat Sabers drawn, "but Patrick and I needed a third Ranger on Team 1 if we were going to make the rescue work!"

Madilyn's jaw nearly crashed through her helmet's mouthpiece. "...You mean, you...?"

_You idiot, Madilyn!_ the Violet Ranger cursed herself. _Why couldn't you get over yourself and figure it out before?! She selected the teams the way she did because SHE NEEDED YOU!_

Madilyn snapped out of it just as the two found themselves leaping up into the trees to avoid more laser fire from the Satori Lightless' eyes. "But what if my ideas don't work?! I can never think them out like you do!"

"And I can never just say what's on my mind like you do!" Nikki countered. "I'm constantly over-thinking every move I make, just to be sure it's right, but you ALWAYS say whatever you think is the way to go! So, if you've got an idea, just DO IT!"

Madilyn was shocked, completely unprepared for such an admittance. As a result, the two were easily caught off guard as the Satori Lightless cut through the trees they were hiding in, sending them crashing to the ground below. Madilyn groaned in pain, trying to get to her feet, watching as the monster powered up its eye beams again. Thinking fast, she pressed a thumb to her buckle, calling forth the aquamarine Gaian Crystal and loading it into her blaster. Just as the Lightless fired its lasers, she pulled the trigger, and to her amazement, it unleashed a series of aquamarine-coloured beams that generated a shell-like shield, reflecting the monster's attacks right back into its own eyes. It howled as it stumbled backward, its eyes shut tight as black smoke came up from its eyelids.

"Nice going, Madilyn!" Nikki complimented, patting her on the shoulder. "Told you that you could get it done!"

"Heh, guess Patrick owes me," the Violet Ranger muttered. "It WASN'T a bomb."

Nikki giggled a little before turning her attention to the Satori Lightless, who was stumbling around and slashing trees down in its blindness. Helping Madilyn to her feet, the two charged the monster with their last gasp, Madilyn throwing a pair of fists into its jaw before holding her arms out, letting Nikki spring off her shoulders and bring her sabers down on the monster, knocking him clear out of the woods and back onto the beach, where the others were fighting.

"Alright, they got him!" Layla cheered, her sword pushing against Walker's staff.

"Knew they could do it!" Dirk shouted, unlocking his ax from Darkea's sword and then hitting her in the gut with its blunt end.

"**Double-mental Slash!**" Patrick called, swinging his and Layla's Gaia Sabers and knocking Darkea and Walker back several feet.

Darkea surveyed the situation, seeing the Red and Violet Rangers emerge from the woods. "This isn't going according to plan!"

"Tch, luckily I always have a back-up!" Walker growled, raising his staff. "Dark Staff of the Wyvern, make my monster grow!"

The wyvern head on Walker's staff opened, releasing a stream of black flames that shot into the Satori Lightless' body. It quickly got back to its feet, growling as it was filled with power, growing into a giant. Walker gave the Rangers one last sneer as he opened a portal below himself and his sister, the two disappearing into it as the team got some distance from the now-giant Lightless, its eyes opening as they were fully healed.

"**_We need Gaia Zord power, now!_**" the Rangers yelled, inserting their crystals into the Gaia Sabers and raising them to the sky. The sabers sent out five streams of light all around, and within moments, the Gaia Zords all came roaring in. The team then leaped up into the air, caught by beams emitted from the Zords that teleported them into the cockpits.

"**Gaia Zords, combine!**" Nikki ordered, the team switching their crystals for the Unity Crystals. The Zords immediately leaped into the air, shifting their bodies around before connecting, the team's cockpits coming together in their giant robot's head.

"_**Gaia Megazord, power up!**_" the Power Rangers called as the Megazord came to life. The Satori Lightless roared at the robot, quickly running in to trade fists and claws with it. For a while, the two giants seemed evenly matched, but when the Megazord went for a roundhouse kick, the monster ducked and swung both feet out at the leg the Megazord was standing on, sending it crashing backward.

"Gah!" Dirk yelled as the team was nearly thrown out of their seats. "That thing's got the Megazord's moves memorized too!"

The Satori Lightless growled as it leaped into the air, looking to bring both claws down on the Megazord, only for it to spread its wings and swoop out of the way, taking to the sky. It quickly doubled around to counter-attack, the power of its five Zords flowing into its fists, which heated up with fire and lightning.

"_**Storm Punch!**_" the five shouted, the Gaia Megazord flying in closer. However, before they could make their move, the Satori Lightless did a quick back-flip, swiping the claws on its hands and feet across the Megazord and causing it to crash and tumble into the water before the lake.

"Dangit, now what do we do?!" Patrick asked. "One more hit like that and we're through!"

"Madilyn, try the new crystal again!" Nikki suggested. "It saved us once, it might be able to do it again!"

"Well, better than losing outright!" Madilyn admitted, loading the crystal into her plugged-in blaster and pulling the trigger. "Geronimo!"

The Gaia Megazord got back to its feet, just as an aquamarine blast shot out from its eyes, flying back around behind it and splashing into the bay behind it. The Satori Lightless roared, charging toward the robot with its claws bared, but just as it came close, a giant aquamarine turtle shell came sailing up out of the bay, spinning through the air before slamming into the monster's jaw. It sent the Lightless tumbling back before landing on the beach, a turtle's head and flippers popping out of the holes of the shell.

"...A-A turtle?!" Dirk stammered, dumbfounded.

"Another Gaia Zord?" Patrick suggested. "I thought there were only five!"

"Rangers!" the team heard Jowar speak over the communicators. "Observing Madilyn's previous use of the crystal reminded me where to look! Along with the five Gaia Zords partnered to each of the Guardians, there were also auxiliary Zords that aided the Gaia Megazord whenever needed! This book also suggests they could form weapons for the Megazord!"

"Sounds awesome!" Layla exclaimed. "Let's try it out!"

"You got it!" Madilyn said with a grin. "Turtle Zord, attach!"

The Turtle Zord clucked, leaping up over the Megazord. It then folded its head and flippers back into its shell before unfolding a grip on its underside. The Gaia Megazord caught it as it came down, holding onto the grip with its left arm.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Turtle Shield!**_" the Rangers called. The Satori Lightless got back to its feet, howling at the Megazord before leaping up to dropkick it, only for it to connect with the shield, which actually managed to knock it backward. The monster got back up, firing lasers from its eyes, but they were reflected with ease, blasting it all over its body.

"Wow, this shield's got some serious power to it!" Dirk commented. "Let's pool our power into it and finish this punk!"

"_**Turtle Typhoon!**_" the five yelled, the Gaia Megazord tossing the Turtle Shield up into the air before throwing a roundhouse kick, the Leviathan Zord's head heaving water and ice into the shield as it made contact. The shield flew toward the Satori Lightless, spinning hard and fast like a high-powered buzz-saw, creating a whirlpool with chunks of ice inside it. The massive attack slammed into the monster, trapping it inside the whirlpool as the Turtle Shield and ice hunks swiped an pounded against it until it exploded into a mass of black smog, evaporating with the whirlpool as the shield flew back to the Megazord's hand.

"Sorry, Walker," Nikki called, "but it takes more than a giant monkey demon to beat the Power Rangers!"

* * *

Walker roared in sheer rage, shoving down a bookcase in his and Darkea's hideout. The glass beakers atop it shattered as they hit the ground, the chemicals inside them spilling out onto the floor. Walker then swung his staff, shattering the glass door to the top shelf of the cabinet holding the Lightless figurines, causing a pair to tumble to the ground. He was about to smash them apart with his staff, only for his sister to block it with her sword.

"That's enough, Walker!" Darkea shouted. "Unless you WANT to reduce our forces against the Rangers?!"

Walker grunted, backing off. "What good does it do us to have the Lightless if they can't beat the Rangers?! I've thrown the best that I have against them, and they keep on winning!"

"So we'll come up with something different!" Darkea argued. "We WILL destroy the Rangers, and-!"

Darkea stopped as a loud gurgling on the ground distracted the two. Looking down, they watched as the chemicals from the beakers spread out to the figurines on the floor. The figurines melted into the chemicals, creating a thick, venomous-looking goo, which started to form into a hand that reached up toward them.

"...That isn't good," Walker muttered, his eyes widening in fear.

* * *

Madilyn shuffled her feet a little, making her way over to Nikki in the clearing outside the Ancient Library. As usual, Nikki was practicing her moves, wearing a new red karate gi that she'd had Jowar whip up for her. Gulping a little, Madilyn finally worked up enough nerve to clear her throat, getting the Red Ranger's attention.

"Oh, hey Madilyn," Nikki greeted, walking over to meet her. "What's up?"

"I, uh, I just wanted to come out here and...um..." Madilyn muttered, rubbing her arm.

"And?" Nikki asked.

Madilyn gave her head a quick shake before finally saying, "I just wanted to apologize."

Nikki blinked in surprise. "YOU wanna apologize to ME?"

"Does that really surprise you THAT MUCH?" Madilyn inquired. "YES, I want to apologize for thinking you were trying to diss me before. Look, the truth is, I DON'T really think things through all the way."

"Yeah, kinda noticed that," Nikki noted, but with a smile that showed she was half-joking.

"So, I didn't really think about why you'd put me on Team 1 before," Madilyn continued. "The truth is, I DO know this isn't the crystallography club back at college. I'm not stupid...most of the time, anyway. I was just so used to being in charge, though, and you being the leader-"

"Again, I never asked to be the leader," Nikki brought up.

"That's because you didn't have to," Madilyn countered. "You were just automatically a better leader than me, and it hasn't been easy to accept that I'm, at best, just a runner-up to you. And so, I guess I just thought you were trying to sabotage me o something."

Nikki's jaw dropped, looking a bit hurt, causing Madilyn to sigh and turn away. "Which was so stupid. I don't know WHY I would EVER suspect you of something like that."

Nikki shrugged. "Well, maybe because we don't really know each other that well yet? I'm still the newcomer to the group. And really, I guess I get the rest. I mean, who really wants to be second best at anything?"

"Yeah," Madilyn muttered before a light-bulb went off in her head. "Yeah! Yeah, that's right! I WON'T be second best anymore!"

"Excuse me?" Nikki asked, confused.

"If I can't be the best leader on the team, I'll be the best ME on the team!" Madilyn explained, spinning around to face Nikki. "Whenever you need someone to be crazy and sporadic, I'm the one to call on!"

Nikki giggled, patting Madilyn on the shoulder. "Well, it saved our butts today, so I guess I will. But y'know, you COULD use some discipline in other areas. Maybe some karate could help even you out?"

"Good idea!" Madilyn shouted. "I'll go get Jowar to make me a new gi right away! Ooh, and maybe some matching boxing gloves!"

Nikki rolled her eyes as Madilyn charged off, heading back to the Ancient Library. _Y'know, if the rest of us could tap into even a little bit of the energy that girl has, even just 10%, Walker and Darkea wouldn't stand a chance._

* * *

"...Uh, what was in those beakers?" Darkea asked, backing away.

"An experimental toxin, made from Blot mist and heated with dark flames," Walker explained, likewise keeping his distance as the chemicals expanded, the hand growing an arm.

"And which Lightless did it just assimilate?" Darkea inquired, keeping her sword pointed to the hand, just as another suddenly sprung out from the goop.

"That would've been the Sphinx and Mantis Lightless...!" Walker answered as a head came forth, resembling a sphinx, but possessing large, insect-like eyes, mouth parts, and antennae. Large scythes sprouted out of their forearms, and the hands grew sharp claws. It let out a terrible screeching sound as it grew up out of the ground, its body forming.

Darkea stood side-by-side with her brother, horrified at the figure forming before them. "Walker? I think we REALLY did it this time...!"

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ So, I thought I'd take a sec to explain some of the inspiration for more stuff. Let's start with the Blots. The Blots are largely inspired by the Neoshadow Heartless, except without the squiggly lines or antennae, and with a single red oval shaped eye in the centre of their faces instead of two yellow eyes. The Heartless have also served as inspiration for a lot of the other monsters in the fic, particularly the name 'Lightless', and as I mentioned before, I had the Behemoth Heartless in mind when I created the Behemoth Zord. So yeah, as one can probably figure out, huge Kingdom Hearts fan. lol

You're probably wondering why I chose a turtle for the next Gaia Zord, after the rest have been legendary creatures like the Hippogriff, Phoenix, and Thunderbird. Well, it's because the turtle has appeared in a number of mythologies and has several cultural depictions. Specifically, in China, the tortoise is the feng shui water element, the other elements represented by a tiger, dragon, and phoenix. So, it DOES kinda count, albeit that can be something of a loophole. And yes, there will be other Gaia Zords that will form weapons for the Gaia Megazord, though the others will be based on more legendary creatures.

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, a new threat to the Rangers emerges as Walker decides the best way to destroy the team is to separate them and take them down one by one. Can the team overcome their individual challenges? Ja né!


	6. Separation

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Walker and Darkea backed away as the horrid goop before them finished molding into a monster. It stood like a dark green, bipedal sphinx, but its joints were a bit narrow, like an insect's. It also had insectile wings in addition to the large, feathery wings of the sphinx. The creature also had scythes like a mantis' forming from its forearms, in addition to lion-like claws. Finally, its head was mostly that of a sphinx's, but its eyes and mouth were that of a mantis. It hissed at the two as it stepped toward them, their weapons pointed at it in fear.

"Walker, if we don't live through this, I just want you to know, I always hated your guts," Darkea muttered, keeping a tight grip on her sword.

"Feeling's mutual, sister," Walker replied. "In fact, if you could let the monster eat you first and cause it to choke to death-"

"Mmmmmah..." the monster started to moan. "Mm, mmmaaahh...Mmaaaaahh..."

"What's it trying to say?" Darkea asked.

Walker's face paled as he watched the creature's eyes fix on him. "...Oh no, it can't think-"

"MAMAAAA!" the monster growled, knocking their weapons away and tackle-hugging Walker to the ground, much to Darkea's immense amusement.

"...Well, the good news is, it isn't going to eat us!" she said between giggles.

"GET THIS THING OFF OF ME!" Walker yelled.

"Uh uh, now that's no way for a mother to address her son, Walker," Darkea corrected.

"HELP ME!" Walker insisted as the hugs from the sphinx/mantis monster crushed the air out of his lungs.

"Wait, can't do that, we need to study how this brand new creature interacts," Darkea insisted. "Now, try not to move around much. This is for science, after all."

"WILL YOU PLEASE SEPARATE ME FROM THI-!" Walker started to scream before a thought occurred to him, causing him to sit up and send the monster rolling to the side. "...Separate. That's IT! We need to separate the Rangers!"

"Rrraaanngerrrss?" the monster asked, getting back up.

Walker grinned evilly, turning to the creature. "Yes, my Sphinx/Mantis Lightless!"

"Sphhiiinnx..." the monster moaned, deep in thought. "Maaannntiisss...Sph...Sphan...Sphantis...!"

"Yes, Sphantis," Walker said, getting to his feet. "You'll help me destroy the Rangers, won't you? But first, we have to separate them."

"Uh, they seem perfectly capable of dealing with hordes of Blots on their own," Darkea pointed out. "We've done this before, remember?"

"True," Walker agreed. "But now, we have an independently created monster, one that doesn't need our constant attention to keep held together. Now, I can create one Lightless, and you can create another..."

"And we'll have enough to get the Rangers split into three groups," Darkea finished, smiling as she got the idea. "And no way that one or two of them can handle a Lightless without having the rest of their team to back them up."

* * *

Dirk let out a loud sigh, looking out at the mountain range in the distance from the roof of the Ancient Library. He liked to come out to the roof on his alone time, take in the cool air and behold the majesty of the Gaian landscape. It was better to think about that than his current situation: How he and his friends were stuck in a world that seemed to always be trying to kill them. How much his missed home, which granted he didn't see that often being away at college anyway.

Reaching into his pocket, Dirk pulled out his wallet, opening up to a photo of his family: His parents, his big sister Tanya, his little brother Travis, and their dog Custard. "Don't worry, you guys. I promise, I'm gonna be home someday soon. I just gotta figure this all out."

Pocketing his wallet again, Dirk looked down into the trees. Suddenly, there was motion, and he could've sworn he picked out a human-shaped figure in the woods. Unsure if it was a Blot or not, and knowing the Ancient Library's location was supposed to be a secret, he quickly made his way to the vines leading down the side of the building, knowing he'd need to give chase before whoever was nearby reported the library's location.

_Oh man,_ he thought, _PLEASE let that just be a lost elf. 'Cuz if that's one of Walker's goons, we are in a LOT of trouble if it gets back to him!_

* * *

"Okay, ready to try this again?" Layla asked, setting up the target as Nikki connected her Heat Sabers into the Heat Bow.

"Yeah," Nikki replied, drawing an arrow. "I REALLY need to get better with the Heat Bow. Based on what Jowar told me, the arrows they can produce possess a ton of fire energy, and can be fired faster than our blaster shots. And you saw the kind of firepower it packed the last time I used it. If I could just master the thing, I just KNOW it'd be a huge help."

Layla nodded, walking over. "And we could always use more help. Okay, go for it."

Nikki sighed, trying to clear her head, and prepared her arrow, pulling it back on the string. She put every last bit of focus into controlling the bow, but sure enough, as she released the arrow, her hand shook, sending it careening off and just barely hitting the outer rim of the target.

"Ugh, why can't I get it to work?!" Nikki complained.

"Because you're over-thinking it," Layla explained. "Here..."

Layla passed her a new arrow, then helped her get into her stance, guiding her hands. "You have good aim with a blaster, but you're over-thinking it with the bow because it's different, when it really isn't that much. You just need to let it happen. Stop being so tense, and just let go of everything. Let everything cool down to where you don't even even NEED to think, you just DO."

Nikki blinked, turning her head slightly to look Layla in the face, seeing how red she was getting. "...Um, Layla? Are we still talking about archery?"

Layla's eyes widened, backing off in a hurry. "I'm sorry! I didn't...I'm sorry!"

"What's wrong?" Nikki asked, putting her Heat Bow down.

"Sorry, I'm just lonely is all," Layla admitted, "without many girls close to my age."

"C'mon, Madilyn's only a year older than y-" Nikki started to say before Layla's behaviour and embarrassed face caught up to her. "...And yeah, I just figured out what you meant. Layla, I am SO sorry."

"It's okay, I probably should've been up-front about that from the beginning, but it's not exactly something you can bring up in casual conversation," Layla replied.

"Does your sister know about this?" Nikki inquired, getting a groan and a roll of the eyes from the blonde before her.

"YES," Layla answered. "And as if she wasn't overprotective of me for everything else, especially being the physically weakest on a Ranger team, THAT doesn't help matters either. AT ALL."

Nikki scratched the back of her head. "Wish I could give advice there. I don't have any older siblings."

"Yeah, well, makes me wonder how I EVER got along alright with a big sister," Layla responded, rubbing her temples.

* * *

Madilyn hummed cheerfully as she entered the main chamber of the Ancient Library, sipping a glass of orange juice. Scanning the room, she saw Jowar was once again sitting at his desk, his nose in another of his books, while Patrick was observing the Viewing Globe, something she didn't generally see him doing just casually.

"Hey Patrick," she called over as she walked toward him. "What'cha up to?"

"I've been checking the Viewing Globe over," the redhead replied, "committing certain details to memory."

Madilyn's eyes widened in surprise. "Jeez, how much?"

"Just enough that I started to notice something," Pat answered, pointing to various locations on the globe and zooming in on them. "A lot of geological locations started to look pretty familiar to me, like I'd seen them before."

"When would you have seen locations in Gaia?" Madilyn wondered aloud.

"I wouldn't have," Patrick said. "That's the weird part."

"What's the weird part?" the two heard Nikki ask as she and Layla walked in.

"Take a look at this," Patrick responded, zooming in on a vast canyon. "See this canyon? It's the biggest one on record in Gaia."

"And?" Layla asked curiously.

"And, while it isn't nearly as big, the shape is VERY familiar," Patrick went on. "Uh, Jowar? Could you pass me that sketch I showed you?"

"Absolutely, Patrick," Jowar replied, getting up from his desk and passing a piece of tracing paper over to Patrick.

"Check out what completely overlaps the shape of this canyon," Patrick said, holding the paper up. To the group's amazement, it was a rough sketch of a canyon, and it matched the shape of the one on the Viewing Globe perfectly.

Layla's jaw dropped. "Is that canyon you sketched what I think it is?"

Patrick nodded. "The Grand Canyon. They're different sizes, but the shape is a perfect match."

"How the heck is THAT possible?" Madilyn demanded, looking to Jowar.

"Remember, Gaia and Earth are parallel worlds, inhabiting the same place in space and time," Jowar explained, stroking his beard. "Certain locations, like this canyon, can have a similar place on Earth, as the changes to one world affects the other."

"Yeah, which has got me thinking something pretty scary," Patrick concluded, turning to face the team, "that if Walker and Darkea take over Gaia, the effects on Earth could be just as terrible."

Nikki's eyes narrowed. "So, to sum up, we've gotta save this world to save our world. Wonderful."

Suddenly, the alarm went off as the torches along the main chamber walls burned brighter. The team looked back to the Viewing Globe, watching as two different locations were highlighted: A ship captained by dwarves under attack by Blots, said dwarves in the process of getting to the rowboats attached to the sides, and another small squad headed toward a village of gnomes.

"Speak of the devils," Nikki muttered, holding up her communicator. "Dirk, come in. We've got an emergency."

"No kidding?!" Dirk replied, sounding out of air. "I spotted someone sneaking a peek at the Ancient Library! Could be a spy...or it COULD just be a really fast sightseer, but-"

"Understood," Nikki cut him off. "Find out for sure who or what it is and then meet up with us later."

Taking her finger off the communicator, Nikki looked back to the others. "Layla, Madilyn, you've got the ship. Patrick, you're with me. It's Morphin Time!"

The others nodded as the four pulled their crystals from their chains, drawing their Crystal Blast Morphers. They quickly inserted them inside and pulled the triggers, yelling, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The multicoloured blasts shot out, spiraling around the team before doubling back on each shooter, coating them with energy as their suits materialized. Once the team were all morphed, Jowar teleported them away, hoping his gut feeling that more was going on than appeared was just him getting overly suspicious in his old age.

* * *

Dirk panted hard, running through the forest, but didn't relent, hearing the breath of the individual he was chasing. From the sounds of it, it clearly wasn't a Blot, but he couldn't really be sure who or what it WAS, and there was no way he could go back without knowing for certain.

Hearing the runner's breathing coming from behind a bush nearby, Dirk drew his blaster, though kept the crystal out, just to avoid risking blasting someone with destructive force when it was uncalled for. Slowly, he crept forward, until finally leaping out in front of the bush with the yell of "Freeze!". The girl kneeling before him held her hands up in fear, and on closer observation, she was a girl a few years older than him, wearing a cowgirl hat, orange t-shirt, and blue overalls. His eyes widened as he immediately recognized her.

"Tanya?!" Dirk demanded, astonished. "Sis, what are you doing here?!"

Tanya's eyes met his, her lips stretching into a smile and she leaped up and hugged him. "Dirk! Oh man, am I happy to see you!"

"How did you get here?" Dirk asked, the two eventually breaking their hug.

"Some people at the college called us," Tanya explained. "They told us how you and the others disappeared...so, I came looking for you. I checked out the club room, and then there was this flash of light...and then, I was in THIS weird place."

"Why did you run from me?" Dirk inquired, confused.

"I didn't get a good look at who or what was chasing me," Tanya answered. "I thought it was one of those black monsters I've been seeing with red eyes. Dirk, what's going on around here?"

"It's a long story, but-" Dirk started to say before something clicked in his head. "...Wait a sec, you said you showed up here after coming to the club room at college?"

Tanya blinked for a moment. "...Y-Yeah, why?"

Dirk smiled widely. "Then that means the portal that brought us all to Gaia is still open! Tanya, you gotta remember where you were when you first got here!"

"Uh, it's not far from here," Tanya said, clearly trying to retrace her steps. "About a mile's hike, more or less?"

Dirk thought it over for a moment. "...Yeah, I can check that out and be back to help the others in no time. Lead the way!"

Tanya nodded, grabbing her brother's hand and leading him along as she made her way back to where she started. Dirk couldn't help but smile as he felt the warmth of his sister's hand spread to his. Now, if they could just find the portal she came through, they could get back home, get some help to stop Walker and Darkea, and everything would be alright again.

* * *

"It's the plank for you guys!" Madilyn yelled, kicking a Blot clear off the side of the ship.

"Time I scrubbed the deck of you guys!" Layla called, facing a small pack of Blots. "**Flood Launcher!**"

Whipping out her massive cannon, Layla blasted the Blots, sending them sailing over the edge of the ship and splashing into the water. She then flashed a quick thumbs up to Madilyn, who returned it, the last of the Blots sent overboard.

"Well, that wasn't so har-AH!" Madilyn cried as she found herself trapped in a giant bubble, sending her rolling across the deck.

"Sis!" Layla shouted, quickly coming face-to-face with the one responsible: A large black frog monster, which was dragging itself on deck. "A Lightless!"

"That's the Frog Lightless to you, ribbibbit!" the monster replied, staring down the Blue Ranger.

"Let her out of there, NOW!" Layla demanded.

"Afraid not, ribbit!" the Frog Lightless said, Madilyn still rolling around in the bubble on the deck. "She can only be free of the bubble if you beat me! And you might wanna think about taking me on fast, before the oxygen in that bubble runs out, ribbibbit!"

"If that's how you want it!" Layla responded, opening fire with the Flood Launcher. Unfortunately, the Frog Lightless simply spat out a mass of bubbles, trapping the blasts from the cannon inside.

"Ribbibbibbibbit!" the Frog Lightless yelled, leaping into the air before swinging its arms at Layla, knocking the Flood Launcher from her hands. It then spun around, planted both hands down on deck, and kicked its feet into the Blue Ranger, sending her crashing into the mast. Layla managed to duck a quick punch from the monster, but it then whipped its tongue out, lashing her hard and sending her tumbling across the deck.

"Gah!" Layla groaned, trying to get back to her feet. "He's too strong...!"

Layla looked over at the bubble Madilyn was trapped in. She was trying to pop it with her Lightning Daggers, but it wasn't working, and as the bubble started getting blacker, Madilyn was finding herself with less and less air. Layla felt terror seep in, realizing she didn't have much time to save her.

_No, darn it!_ Layla cursed, clenching a fist. _Can't wuss out now, Layla! You've gotta do this, for your sister!_

* * *

"**Heat Sabers!**" Nikki shouted, bringing out her twin swords and slashing down the last Blot, with plenty of distance left till the village. "Well, they didn't put up much of a fight."

"Tell me about it," Patrick agreed, relaxing his grip on his Storm Lance. "That seemed a little too easy."

"Tch, that's because it WAS, you fools!" the two heard an all too familiar voice say. Looking ahead, they quickly spotted Walker and Darkea headed toward them, flanked by a new, uglier monster than they'd ever seen, like some bizarre science experiment gone wrong.

"Ew, what kind of Lightless is THAT?!" Patrick demanded.

"The kind that destroys Power Rangers, my little green fool!" Walker remarked before turning to face said monster. "Sphantis, THESE are the Power Rangers. Destroy them!"

"Destroy Rangers!" Sphantis growled, almost gleefully. With that, he leaped over Walker and Darkea, swooping toward Nikki and Patrick before swiping his scythe blades at them, sending them tumbling aside.

Patrick winced as he used his lance to get back to his feet. "Aw man, that thing packs a wallop!"

"Let's see how he likes a little fire to the face!" Nikki yelled, drawing her blaster and holding in the trigger. "**Fire Blast!**"

Releasing the trigger, the Red Ranger unleashed a powered-up blast of fire energy, right at Sphantis' face. However, just as the blast was about to connect, the monster swiped his scythes in front of himself, actually slashing the blast apart and causing it to fizzle out. Nikki's eyes shot open, in shock at what she just saw. As such, she was wide open as Sphantis charged her, tackling her into a tree. He then swung his scythes for her head, just missing as she barely managed to duck, causing the tree to fall over.

"Hang on, Nikki!" Patrick shouted, starting to dash toward them until he was confronted with Darkea, blocking his path. "Okay, SO don't have time for you today!"

"Make time, Green Ranger!" Darkea demanded, swinging her sword and locking up with Pat's lance.

* * *

Dirk's smile threatened to nearly rip itself open wider at what he saw. Sure enough, standing erect off the ground, was a large, circular portal. Peering into it, he saw the college on Earth, and it looked plenty big enough to step through. He had to stop himself from falling to his knees and weeping in joy, finally face-to-face with the means to leave Gaia, and Tanya couldn't help but giggle as his face betrayed such an emotion.

"Oh man, this is really it!" Dirk cheered.

"So, what are we waiting for?!" Tanya asked. "Let's hurry up and go home!"

Dirk took a step forward, but quickly stopped. "Wait! I should contact the others! They'll wanna know about this."

Holding his communicator up, he quickly hit the blue gem. "Guys, come in! There's something you guys gotta see!"

"Little tied up, Dirk!" Nikki shouted back, the sound of blades slashing and clashing in the background. "Walker and Darkea, and they've got a new monster! Patrick and I need help, now!"

Dirk felt his skin pale slightly, giving his head a quick shake. "Layla, Madilyn! You've gotta get to the others right a-"

"I can't!" Layla cried, sounding to be in pain. "Madilyn's stuck in some kinda bubble that's taking her oxygen! I've gotta stop this monster, or she'll suffocate!"

Dirk's eyes widened in terror, looking back to his sister. "Oh man, they need help, now!"

"You can't save them all, Dirk!" Tanya yelled. "There isn't time! We've gotta go through the portal and get help!"

"But they might not last!" Dirk insisted. "What if one or more of them is destroyed because I went to find help instead of going after them myself?!"

"But there's only one of you!" Tanya reasoned. "Nikki and the others can hold out for a while longer, but you've got to go through to Earth and get help!"

Dirk thought it over. It was true, there WAS only enough time to go after one group, but if he chose to help Nikki and destroy the monster there, Madilyn could die. On the other hand, if he took too long trying to get help on Earth, they could all be destroyed. Then again, there were other Power Rangers on Earth, all quick to lend a hand whenever needed. The best choice was to do that.

"You're right, sis, I-" Dirk started to say before something went off in his head, like a voice telling him something was wrong. "...What did you say?"

Tanya blinked, confused. "I said we've gotta go get help from Earth, Madilyn and the others will be okay!"

Dirk's eyes narrowed. "No. No, you said 'Nikki and the others can hold out'."

Tanya shrugged. "So?! What does it matter which one I said?!"

"It matters because you never met Nikki," Dirk answered, realization hitting him like a truck. "And she was never officially registered as a member of the Crystallography Club, so no one would know for sure she was with us when we disappeared...which means, you shouldn't know her name!"

Tanya started to sweat-drop, giving her away as Dirk drew his blaster, aiming at her. "You're not my sister! Who are you?!"

Tanya suddenly grinned evilly, reaching her arm out as it expanded into a grey, liquid mass that knocked Dirk away. As he started to get back to his feet, she had already transformed into a dark grey, lanky looking creature, appearing very much to be just skin and bones. It hissed at Dirk as he backed away, clutching his blaster.

"A Lightless!" he barked. "You pretended to be my sister, you freak!"

"Shame," the Doppelganger Lightless hissed, waving its arm as the portal faded away, but not before revealing its true destination as a dark pit filled with black water. "I was hoping to send you to the Well of Despair, but it seems I overplayed my part in reading your mind."

"I'm gonna make YOU despair for ever tricking me!" Dirk growled, pulling his crystal free of its chain. "**It's Morphin Time!**"

The Doppelganger Lightless swung its arms, sending them out as masses of grey liquid as Dirk inserted his crystal into the Crystal Blast Morpher. He ducked down underneath them, pointing his blaster to the ground as he shouted "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_", sending the orange blast ricocheting off the ground and hitting the monster before bouncing back and granting Dirk his Ranger suit.

"**Quake Ax!**" the Orange Ranger roared, calling forth his ax and cleaving it through the grey liquid. The Doppelganger Lightless backed off in pain, though its arms quickly regenerated. However, it clearly wasn't quick enough as Dirk leaped up into the air, bringing the ax down on the monster and causing it to collapse into a heap of grey liquid, which quickly seeped into the ground.

"And don't ever come back, you creep!" Dirk yelled.

* * *

Layla cried out in pain as she found herself being knocked back into a crate of goods, shattering it. Just as she started to get back up, the Frog Lightless whipped out its tongue, wrapping it around her ankles and flinging her into the helm of the ship. Layla groaned as she fought to get back up, watching as the Frog Lightless marched slowly over to her. Rolling along the deck behind it was the bubble carrying Madilyn, now much darker in colour, with Madilyn having pulled off her helmet and trying desperately to breathe.

_She won't last long!_ Layla realized, her eyes suddenly spotting a bubble tattoo on the tip of the Frog Lightless' tongue as it slipped back into its mouth. _Wait a sec, what's with that tattoo? Could that be its weak-spot?_

"You're running out of time, Blue Ranger, ribbibbit!" the Frog Lightless taunted. "Or rather, the Violet Ranger is!"

"Funny," Layla muttered, pressing a thumb to her buckle and calling forth the Turtle Crystal. "You just RAN out of time!"

The Frog Lightless quickly shot out its tongue as Layla inserted the Turtle Crystal into her Gaia Saber, screaming out, "**Aqua Saw!**" She then fired a charged up shot from her blaster, sending out a burst of water energy, before slashing her saber across. The aquamarine slash joined the blast to become an aqua buzz-saw-like blast, sailing forward and cutting the tip of the Frog Lightless' tongue clean off, the monster howling in pain as the severed tongue evaporated into thin air, followed by the bubble containing Madilyn. The Violet Ranger collapsed onto the deck, nearly hyperventilating as she found fresh air entering her lungs again.

"Sis!" Layla shouted, Madilyn quickly managing to hurl her Lightning Daggers at the Frog Lightless. It roared in pain as the voltage from the daggers coursed through its body, causing it to fall apart into a mass of black smog that floated away into the sky.

Madilyn sighed, crawling over to her sister. "Layla...You beat him!"

Layla fell to her knees, exhausted. "Yeah...I don't know how, but I beat him...!"

Madilyn smiled, reaching over and grabbing the Blue Ranger in a hug. "Good job, sis."

* * *

Nikki yelled as she looked to dropkick Sphantis, only for him to dodge and rake his scythes across her, sending sparks off her suit as she collapsed to the ground. She winced in pain as she dragged herself back up to a knee, quickly grabbing her fallen Heat Sabers. This monster was clearly faster and stronger than her, and with Patrick held up by Darkea, the two engaged in an intense parry-fest a few yards away, she was on her own against him.

Nikki dug her swords into the ground, forcing herself back up to her feet as Sphantis dared her to attack again. Looking down to her swords, the Red Ranger knew what she had to do to beat this monster, locking the hilts together to form the Heat Bow. An arrow immediately materialized in her hand as she took hold of the bow.

_Just remember what Layla said,_ Nikki reminded herself as she took a deep breath and readied the arrow, Sphantis preparing to slash it in half as soon as she released it. _You can't over-think it. You just need to let it happen. Don't over-think it. Just let it happen. Don't think. DO!_

With this last thought, Nikki released the arrow, letting it shoot toward Sphantis like a burning pink arrow. Sphantis swung his scythes forward, looking to slash the arrow apart, but missed, causing the arrow to hit him square in the chest and explode. The blast knocked him several yards away, colliding with Darkea and sending the two tumbling to the ground.

"Get off of me, you lunk-head!" Darkea shouted, shoving him off and getting right back up, Walker joining them. However, to Darkea's chagrin, not only were Nikki and Patrick forming up, but she quickly saw that the other Rangers were making their way towards them. She then reached out with her mind, sensing the Frog Lightless in its gaseous form.

"Darn it!" Darkea cursed. "They beat the Frog Lightless! I thought you said it could handle the Blue Ranger alone!"

"Wasn't easy, but let's just say he's been tongue-whipped!" Layla called over as she, Madilyn, and Dirk joined Patrick and Nikki.

"And your Doppelganger Lightless isn't doing much better!" Dirk shouted, pointing his ax at the villains. "You used the image of my family against me! For that, I'm gonna make sure you learn the REAL meaning of hurt!"

"It's over, Walker!" Nikki yelled, setting an arrow to her bow.

Walker growled, raising his staff. "It's never over! Dark Staff of the Wyvern, make the Lightless grow!"

The wyvern head on the staff opened its jaws, releasing black flames into the sky. It quickly drew in the dark smog of the Frog Lightless, the two forces combining together to reform the monster as a giant. It roared as its power was restored, then turned toward the nearby village, its intent to smash it clear. Nikki grit her teeth as Walker then formed a portal for his group, knowing this was the Rangers' best chance to follow them to their base and finish this, but that they couldn't just leave the village to be destroyed.

"We'll deal with them later!" Nikki said with a growl, drawing her Gaia Saber as Walker and the others vanished into the portal. "Let's stop that creep before he destroys the village!"

The others hesitantly nodded as they drew their Gaia Sabers, inserting their crystals and raising them to the sky before shouting, "**_We need Gaia Zord power, now!_**"

"Red Phoenix Gaia Zord, power up!" Nikki summoned, the Phoenix Zord taking off from the top of a nearby mountain with embers trailing off of the tips of its wings.

"Green Hippogriff Gaia Zord, power up!" Patrick shouted, the Hippogriff Zord barrel rolling out of a small cluster of clouds.

"Blue Leviathan Gaia Zord, power up!" Layla cried, the Leviathan Zord lifting its neck out a lake with a shrill cry.

"Orange Behemoth Gaia Zord, power up!" Dirk roared, the Behemoth Zord stomping through the woods toward the group.

"Violet Thunderbird Gaia Zord, power up!" Madilyn yelled, the Thunderbird Zord sailing out of a thundercloud.

"Let's do this!" Nikki shouted, leaping up to the Gaia Zords as they approached, the other Rangers doing the same. The group were caught in beams of light, fired out by their Zords that teleported them into the cockpits.

"Rangers, log on!" Nikki commanded, plugging in her blaster and sword into their respective slots.

"Patrick, ready to kick some butt!" Patrick replied.

"Layla here, still got some energy to burn!" Layla responded.

"Dirk, still craving some payback!" Dirk shouted.

"Let's croak this toad!" Madilyn retorted, sailing in front of the Frog Lightless and frying it with thunderbolts from the Thunderbird Zord's eyes. It cried out in pain as it backed off, effectively cut off from the village.

"_**Lock on and fire!**_" Dirk and Nikki shouted, the Behemoth and Phoenix Zords launching orange orbs and red fireballs from their mouths at the monster, sending it sailing away and tumbling into the lake, where the Leviathan Zord was waiting.

"Turtle Zord, power up!" Layla called, inserting the aquamarine crystal into her blaster and pulling the trigger. The Turtle Zord rose from the lake, letting the Leviathan Zord smack it with its tail and send it crashing into the Frog Lightless' gut.

"This just isn't your lucky day!" Patrick yelled as the Turtle Zord bounced up into the sky, the Hippogriff Zord stomping on it to send it smacking across the Frog Lightless' face. The monster tumbled out of the lake onto dry land, groaning in pain.

"Grr, that's ENOUGH, _**RIBBIBBIBBIBBIBBIBBIT!**_" the monster roared, spitting out a huge volley of bubbles. One by one, each of the Zords were trapped in bubbles, all floating helplessly in midair. The Frog Lightless laughed triumphantly, until it suddenly noticed the glimmers of light that had been launching out from each of the Zords just before they were trapped. Sure enough, within moments, the Rangers all materialized, sailing toward it with their Gaia Sabers drawn and glowing.

"**_Quintuple-mental Slash!_**" the Rangers yelled, swinging their sabers and launching a combined assault of their five elements right into the Frog Lightless' mouth. The monster screeched in pain as the tip of its tongue was once again lopped off, the bubbles trapping the Zords fading away as the team managed to land below.

"**Gaia Zords, combine!**" Nikki ordered as the team switched their crystals for the five Unity Crystals. The Zords, still in sync with the Rangers, leaped into the air and connected together into a giant robot. It then pulled the Rangers back in with a rainbow coloured beam, bringing them into the cockpit in its head.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Turtle Shield!**_" the Rangers called as the Turtle Zord folded up into its shell, the Megazord grabbing hold of it. "_**Turtle Typhoon!**_"

The Gaia Megazord quickly tossed the Turtle Shield into the air before roundhouse kicking it, sending out a frosty blast with the Turtle Zord as it sailed toward the monster. The shield began to form a whirlpool with huge chunks of ice inside as it spun, slamming the attack into the Frog Lightless. However, before it could get the job done, the monster bounced up out of the top of the whirlpool, despite the heavy damage it took...only to find itself face-to-face with the Gaia Megazord, which had also gone airborne.

"Aw no...!" the Lightless moaned, preparing itself for the inevitable.

"_**Storm Punch!**_" the Rangers cried as the Gaia Megazord slammed both fists into the monster, destroying it utterly in a massive explosion. The Megazord landed below as black smog rose up from the explosion, dissolving into the air. The team all sighed hard, removing their helmets to reveal sweaty, worn-out faces.

"Okay, not gonna lie, THAT felt a little too good," Layla admitted, resting her head back and staring up at the roof of the Megazord cockpit.

"Yeah, payback'll do that," Nikki replied, rubbing her neck as she glanced over to Dirk, noticing the troubled look on his face. "...Dirk? You alright?"

Dirk didn't answer at first, pulling out the photo of his family. He looked at their faces, all looking happy to be together, something he had taken for granted back then. Sure, college meant they wouldn't be around each other as much, but he always had his home and his family to come back to when he needed it. Now...

"No," he muttered. "I'm not okay...but I will be."

* * *

Elsewhere, at that moment, the Doppelganger Lightless was reforming in a dank cave. It winced as its arms reformed last, still suffering from the blows the Orange Ranger had inflicted despite its regenerative powers. The monster growled as it thought back to Dirk, and how he'd actually managed to see through its illusions, all because of a single slip-up, and how his wrath proved a bit more than it could handle.

_Still,_ the monster though, smirking evilly, _reading the minds of the Rangers HAS given me some insight on their wants and needs. In fact, I think I know just the way to defeat them now..._

The monster chuckled lowly as its body began to reform. Within moments, the grey figure was gone, replaced with someone dressed in a red and white combat suit of sorts. He wore white boots and gloves with red diamonds along them, and the torso of his suit also had white diamonds. A silver and red buckle rested on the front of a white belt. Lastly, he wore a red helmet with a grey mouthpiece and black visor, with accents to give the helmet a clear dinosaur motif.

"I'm gonna beat them at their own game," the Lightless in disguise muttered as red eyes shined under his visor.

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ ...Y'know, I really don't feel like wasting anybody's time after that cliffhanger, but there IS something I gotta address, and that's the revelation involving Layla's character being gay. I was kinda on the fence about this one, as I'm outing a character in a Power Rangers story, but ultimately, I think it helps to add to the relationship between her and Madilyn. As much as this royally sucks, we're still living in a world filled with a lot of hate and prejudice, and Madilyn KNOWS this, thus giving her even more reason to be protective of Layla. However, there is still more to that story that will be hinted upon later. Suffice to say, though, Layla will NOT be hooking up with anyone on the team. In fact, I don't think I'll be doing a romantic subplot between any of the Rangers, since I feel their chemistry as friends works better than if any of them were dating each other.

So, with that said, next on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, the team is still licking their wounds, both physical and emotional, as they find themselves face-to-face with their biggest challenge: The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers! Ja né! (And yes, I'm aware that I'm a jerk for this cliffhanger, lol)


	7. Ten Rangers Enter, Five Rangers Leave

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Darkea groaned, watching the black flames of the fireplace replay the image of the Frog Lightless being destroyed. "Great. Another plan down the drain."

Walker huffed, having been mostly silent since he, his sister, and Sphantis had returned to their hidden chamber. "Hmph, don't give the Rangers too much credit. It's not over yet."

Darkea turned to stare at her brother, confused. "The separation plan failed, EPICALLY. How is it not over?"

"As you'll recall, we had three monsters out on the field," Walker explained, Sphantis wandering off into the corner to take a nap. "Only the Frog Lightless was destroyed. However, the Doppelganger is still out there."

"What's it going to do against five Rangers?" Darkea asked, still not understanding. "It couldn't even beat the Orange Ranger one-on-one."

"The Doppelganger Lightless is a schemer and illusionist, the likes of which only I can match," Walker answered, smirking evilly. "More-so, it can read an opponent's mind and change its body to reflect that which its foe desires most. If I had to guess, he's laying low until just the right moment, when he'll strike and destroy the Rangers once and for all."

* * *

Patrick sat on the edge of his bed, trying to relax. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. He could tell the others were getting worn out, not just physically, but emotionally. They'd just come off one of their most grueling battles ever, and the stress was starting to get to them, especially poor Dirk, who had his mind read by the enemy and had his wish to return home brought to life, only to have it cruelly taken away.

_Ugh, this is getting to be too much,_ Patrick thought as he flopped back onto his bed. _What'd we ever do to deserve all of this? We're not battle-honed warriors, or a group chosen for special talents that could be used to save the world, we're a bunch that just happened to get sucked into all of this because our ancestors were the Guardians of Gaia. Why'd WE become Power Rangers? Why couldn't the other Rangers of Earth be doing this? Why can't we just go home?!_

"Penny for your thoughts," a voice said, Patrick sitting up to spot Jowar standing in the doorway.

"You weren't reading my mind just now, were you?" Patrick asked.

"Wizards don't do that," Jowar answered.

Patrick cocked an eyebrow. "Can't, or won't?"

"Both," Jowar replied simply. "Nevertheless, it doesn't take a mind reader to tell what you're thinking, Patrick. You're always very honest about your emotions, whether you mean to be or not."

Patrick sighed, looking away. "That can't be good...So, how are the others doing?"

"They're healing, some more slowly than others," Jowar said, walking in and conjuring a wooden chair to take a seat in. "Nikki and Madilyn are sparring, Layla's still recovering her strength from the fight, and Dirk...well, he's having some 'alone time', as you might call it."

Patrick nodded, having guessed that of all four, as Jowar looked him in the eye. "...Patrick, I know this is a difficult situation for you all-"

"Yeah, I know you know that," Patrick cut the old wizard off, getting to his feet, "but really, what can be done about it?! We can't go home, we can't call the other Rangers, we're stuck here with no back-up, and things are only gonna get tougher on us from here on out!"

Jowar didn't change his facial expression, didn't look shocked or angered by Patrick's outburst, but merely looked him in the eyes and very solemnly said, "I know, and I'm sorry."

Patrick sighed, realizing that getting angry wasn't helping. "I'm sorry too...Look, I just need to think for a while."

"Of course," Jowar replied, letting Patrick leave the bedroom to be alone. Once he was gone, the old wizard stroked his beard, deep in thought, before reaching into his gold and silver robes and pulling out a yellow crystal. It shimmered brightly all around the walls of the room.

"If only I could use you, eh?" Jowar muttered sadly before pocketing the crystal.

* * *

A few minutes later, Patrick was out in the woods surrounding the Ancient Library, practicing his parkour routine in the trees. After a while, he finally came to a stop on the ground, wiping the sweat from his brow and feeling a bit more relieved. Luckily, practicing in these woods always seemed to help him re-balance his mind, one of the perks of Gaia that he'd discovered.

Well, guess that's enough for now, Patrick thought, turning around to head back to the library, only to find his hand quickly going to his blaster as he saw a group of four Blots in his way, led by a grey Lightless. It hissed at him as he drew his blaster, getting ready for a fight.

"Aw man, as if this day couldn't get any worse!" Pat exclaimed.

"You have no idea, Patrick," the monster replied with a smirk.

Pat's eyes widened in surprise at the use of his name before he suddenly realized, "Oh, lemme guess: You must be the Doppelganger Lightless! Dirk's been meaning to have a word with you!"

"Well, that's interesting," the Doppelganger responded. "I have a message I'd like YOU to deliver to HIM, and the rest of your friends."

Before Patrick could ask further, the Doppelganger Lightless' body began to change, as did the four Blots around him. When they were done, the group of monsters were gone, replaced with the last thing Pat had ever expected to see in Gaia: The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. His eyes widened as fear crept into his mind.

"...Y'know, one day, I'm just gonna learn to keep my mouth shut," Patrick muttered before pulling his crystal from its chain. "But it won't be today!"

* * *

Nikki wiped the sweat from her face with her towel, walking into the main chamber of the Ancient Library with Madilyn right behind her. Dirk was off in a corner of the room, reading a book on agriculture. Nikki sighed, wishing there was something she could say to him, but knowing he'd want to be left alone right now. Meanwhile, Layla entered from the opposite entrance, rubbing her neck.

"Hey sis, feeling better?" Madilyn asked as the three girls met up in the middle of the room.

"MUCH," Layla replied. "You guys?"

"Same," Madilyn answered. "Man, Nikki, you were right, sparring really helps focus the mind."

"Told ya so," Nikki said with a smirk before scanning the room. "...Hey, has anybody seen Patrick?"

"He went out for a jog," Jowar answered as he entered the main chamber. "He needed to clear his head."

"Yeah, think we ALL did after-" Nikki started to say before the alarm went off. The group immediately surrounded the Viewing Globe, Dirk finally putting down his book and joining the others. The globe zoomed in on the woods outside the library, and to the team's astonishment, it showed Patrick, morphed as the Green Ranger, fighting the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. More-so, he was losing, BADLY.

"What the heck?!" Layla exclaimed in shock.

"Don't let it fool you," Dirk said. "It's not them."

"Dirk is correct," Jowar replied, waving his staff to briefly show the transparent images of the monsters over the fake Rangers. "The Doppelganger Lightless has disguised himself and the Blots as Power Rangers. But you must be on your guard. Illusion or not, they will be very dangerous."

"Got it," Nikki said, drawing her blaster. "**It's Morphin Time!**"

The team quickly drew their Crystal Blast Morphers, pulling their crystals from their chains and inserting them inside the blasters. They then raised their blasters up over their heads, pulling the triggers and calling, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The four elemental blasts shot out, spiraling around each other in the air, before coming back down and coating the team with energy, their Ranger suits materializing over their clothes. Once this was all done, Jowar teleported them to the forest, forming a circle around Patrick as he was being rushed by the fake Rangers.

"Back off, you fakes!" Nikki demanded, drawing her Heat Bow as the two teams came face-to-face.

"So, looks like your friend won't have to deliver our message after all," the Doppelganger Lightless, disguised as the Red Mighty Morphin Ranger, replied as he stood facing Nikki.

"You okay, Patrick?" Nikki asked as the Green Ranger got back to his feet, not taking her glare off the monster.

"Doing better now that you guys are here," Pat admitted. "Be careful, though. They might not be the real deal, but they're packing some serious power."

"Oh, believe me," the fake Black Ranger said as the monsters formed up in a line, "we're BETTER than the real deal."

"Is that right?" Dirk inquired, the Gaia Rangers forming up as well.

"That's 'cuz we've got the endless power of darkness on our side," the Blot disguised as the Pink Mighty Morphin Ranger taunted.

"Real Rangers don't need to side with evil to be powerful!" Madilyn accused.

"And what would know about being REAL Rangers?" the fake Blue Ranger demanded.

"Apparently, more than you guys," Layla insisted.

"We'll see who the real Rangers are," the illusionary Yellow Ranger scoffed. "Noon tomorrow, on the north outskirts of the Night Elf village. Show up, or else."

"Or else what?" Nikki inquired.

"Or else we'll destroy that village, and everyone and everything in it, all knowing YOU failed to save them!" the Doppelganger threatened, the fake Rangers drawing their Blade Blasters and shooting the ground before the Gaia Rangers. When the smoke cleared, the fakes were gone, leaving the team with the promise of a Ranger vs Ranger battle tomorrow. Nikki clenched her fist, repressing the need to yell in anger.

* * *

Walker grinned, having to keep himself from bursting out laughing as he watched the Gaia Rangers in the flames of the fireplace. "So, THAT'S the game, is it? Perfect! The Rangers will be destroyed by the warped illusion of their own kind!"

"Wait," Darkea interjected, "for them to be found there, their base of operations must be nearby. Why wait for tomorrow when we can just send a squad of Blots to that forest and take them out while they rest?"

Walker shook his head, turning to face his sister. "No, if my suspicion is correct, than the place they've been hiding in won't be overtaken by a simple squad of Blots, especially with the Rangers there. Let the Doppelganger have his fun first. Then, with the Rangers destroyed, we'll scour that forest, find their base, and burn it to the ground!"

* * *

Nikki tossed in her bed, trying to find the most comfortable place to lay so she could fall asleep. However, try as she might, she just couldn't get comfy, or get even a wink of sleep, and she'd been trying for two hours. The second she started to feel herself come even close to drifting off, her mind would drift back to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and the horrific mental image of them destroying a village full of innocent people.

"Can't sleep either, huh?" Dirk asked from the top bunk opposite of her.

Nikki sighed, shaking her head. "Nope."

"Pretty sure that's the idea," Layla noted from the bunk underneath Dirk's. "I mean, why else with the disguise?"

"Aside from kicking our butts with Ranger powers, you mean?" Patrick added from the bunk under Nikki's.

"Speaking from experience, Layla's right," Dirk said with a frown. "This is just how the Doppelganger operates: It takes the things important to you and uses them against you."

"It's a psychological battle as well as a physical one," Nikki summarized. "Wonderful."

"Y'know what the REALLY sad part is?" Madilyn noted, laying next to Layla. "We could probably sell the battle tomorrow on pay-per-view and retire stinking rich."

Nikki blinked for a second before cracking up into giggles. "Yeah, THAT would be awesome."

Patrick rolled his eyes. "What IS it with you, anyway? Aren't you worried at all about tomorrow?"

"I WAS, but now, I'm just too excited!" Madilyn admitted.

"**_HUH?!_**" everyone asked, confused as all heck.

"C'mon, it's the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!" Madilyn reasoned. "Sure, they aren't the REAL Rangers, but they look and fight enough like them that they might as well be real, and we're gonna test our skills against them?!"

"Just when I thought you couldn't get any stranger," Patrick muttered.

"Seriously, you're not even a little bit excited?" Madilyn asked. "That tomorrow, we might just beat the _**POWER RANGERS**_ in a 5-on-5 team brawl?"

Patrick thought about it for a moment before groaning, shoving his pillow into his face before muffling, "Well, NOW I am! Thanks, 'Mad'!"

Nikki laughed, shooting a thumbs up to Madilyn. Yes, what she said was ridiculous and stupid, but for some reason, hearing her say it made her feel a lot better. It was a strange feeling, how these people, who less than a month ago were complete strangers to her, were now her best friends. In particular, it was bizarre how Madilyn, the girl who dragged her into said group kicking and screaming, and then started taking issue with her when everyone followed Nikki's lead instead of her own, was now one of her best friends. And yet, thinking about it now, she couldn't even recall how she ever got along without them.

* * *

The Doppelganger Lightless smirked as it watched the Rangers teleport in. Despite being demorphed, they all clearly had their game faces on. At its sides were four Blots, their eyes changed from red to dark purple, blue, yellow, and pink. Both teams lined up, several feet apart from one another, with the Doppelganger and Nikki lined up face-to-face.

"You came," the monster stated matter-of-factly.

"Disappointed?" Nikki asked.

"Quite the opposite," the Doppelganger Lightless replied with a sneer. "You're about to lose at your own game, 'Rangers'."

"**_Bring it on!_**" the Rangers yelled back, hands to their blasters.

The Doppelganger grinned before it and the Blots reached a hand behind their backs. "**It's Morphin Time!**"

"Mastodon!" the purple-eyed Blot growled as the five shoved Power Morphers forward.

"Pterodactyl!" the pink-eyed Blot screeched.

"Triceratops!" the blue-eyed Blot cawed.

"Saber-Tooth Tiger!" the yellow-eyed Blot groaned.

"Tyrannosaurus!" the Doppelganger Lightless hissed, the five Morphers unleashed an array of flashing lights as the Mighty Morphin Power Ranger suits materialized over the monsters.

"**_Power Rangers!_**" the fake Rangers called as the energy around them culminated in an explosion behind them.

"Let's show them how it's really done!" Nikki ordered as the group drew their blasters. "**It's Morphin Time!**"

At this call, the group all pulled their crystals from their chains and inserted them into the Crystal Blast Morphers. The team raised their blasters forward, pulling the triggers and yelling, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The multicoloured blasts shot out at the fake Rangers ahead of them before getting backhanded back, coating the team with energy as their suits materialized.

"Guardian of Fire!" Nikki shouted as an red ember-like light burned around her. "Red Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Wind!" Patrick yelled as green light whipped up like a gust of wind. "Green Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Water!" Layla cried as blue light splashed over her like water. "Blue Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Earth!" Dirk roared as orange light came off the dirt like sand in the wind. "Orange Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Lightning!" Madilyn called as violet light crackled around her like electricity. "Violet Gaia Ranger!"

The five Rangers struck a group pose as a large silver flash of light came up all around them, followed by a rainbow coloured explosion behind them. "_**Power Rangers, Guardians of Gaia!**_"

"Attack!" the Doppelganger commanded, the fake Rangers charging toward the Gaia Rangers. Each of the Rangers paired off with their counterparts: Red with red, blue with blue, green with black, orange with yellow, and violet with pink. Nikki drew her Gaia Saber to match the Doppelganger's Blade Blaster in sword mode, getting into a furious parry-fest before they locked up close. The fake Red Mighty Morphin Ranger suddenly switched its Blade Blaster to blaster mode, hoping to shoot Nikki up close, but she'd anticipated that, reaching down and firing her blaster while it was still in its holster, knocking the fake Red Ranger back.

"Time you 'doppeled' back around, Doppelganger!" Nikki yelled.

At that time, a few feet away, Patrick was ducking and rolling around blasts from the Black Ranger's Blade Blaster, causing the Blot under the helmet to get increasingly erratic with its shots. Finally, after a while, Pat ran up a large stone in the ground, doing a front flip before slashing his Gaia Saber down through the Blade Blaster, cutting it in half. He then swung his saber at the fake Black Mighty Morphin Ranger, sending him tumbling away.

"Get back, Black!" Patrick taunted.

Meanwhile, Layla was desperately trying to avoid wild swings from the fake Blue Mighty Morphin Ranger's Blade Blaster in sword mode. She tried blasting him with her Crystal Blast Morpher, but the shots were deflected with ease, much to her astonishment before being kicked onto her behind.

"I could use an assist, sis!" Layla called over to Madilyn, who was engaged in a sword fight with the fake Pink Ranger.

"On it!" Madilyn shouted, drawing her blaster and kicking it over to Layla. The Blue Ranger caught it, firing her dual blasters at her illusionary counterpart, finally getting past his sword and knocking him back. She then drew her Gaia Saber and tossed it over to Madilyn, who caught it gracefully and used the twin sabers to easily disarm the Pink Mighty Morphin Ranger.

"Seriously, sweetie, pink is out!" Madilyn scoffed as she kicked the fake Ranger back.

"Hope they aren't feeling too blue after this!" Layla joked.

A yard away, Dirk was rushing at the fake Yellow Ranger, who likewise was charging at him. The two met with a pair of slashes from each other's swords, neither side phased much. The Yellow Mighty Morphin Ranger then leaped up and shoved Dirk's sword down with her feet, embedding it into the ground before springing off his head hard. Just as she came leaping back at him again, though, he grabbed hold of his Gaia Saber with both hands and cleaved straight through the ground, both slashing the fake Ranger hard and giving it a dirt shower.

"Hey, 'orange' you glad I'm not yellow?" Dirk asked, resting his sword on his shoulder. "...Yeah, sorry, that was just lame."

"Give it up, Doppelganger!" Nikki shouted as the monster backed off from a kick to the gut.

"In your dreams!" the Lightless growled. "**Power Sword!**"

With a flash of red light, the fake Red Ranger suddenly drew a red and silver sword, the personal weapon of the Red Mighty Morphin Ranger. Before Nikki could react, the Doppelganger Lightless quickly swiped her Gaia Saber out of her hand before slashing her hard, sending her tumbling away in an array of sparks.

"**Power Bow!**" the Pink Ranger hissed, bringing out her bow and arrow and firing it at Madilyn. The arrow exploded upon connecting with the Violet Ranger's Gaia Sabers, knocking her and the swords in different directions.

"**Power Lance!**" the fake Blue Ranger moaned, drawing his lance and knocking away Layla's blasters. He then thrust it forward, and while Layla managed to catch it, he merely hoisted her up and over his shoulder with it, sending her crashing to the ground behind him.

"**Power Daggers!**" the Yellow Ranger groaned, spinning her daggers in her hands before tossing them at Dirk and Patrick, causing them to stumble back.

"**Power Axe!**" the Black Ranger gurgled, knocking Patrick away with a swing before shifting the ax into cannon mode, blasting Dirk down.

"Grr, this isn't going so well...!" Dirk growled as he and the others slowly regrouped, stumbling over to each other.

"What did you expect?" the Doppelganger asked, his red eyes glowing under his visor. "You're no Power Rangers. You weren't even chosen for the job. You're here by chance, simple as that, and you all know it. You've just been waiting for the REAL Rangers to show up and save you all."

Nikki winced, getting back to her feet. "Ever get tired of listening to yourself talk?"

The Doppelganger Lightless blinked, confused, as Layla chuckled. "Maybe he's just hoping we'll start paying him to give life lessons and psych evaluations."

"You think I'm wrong?" the fake Red Ranger demanded.

"No, that's the thing," Dirk said, hauling himself back up. "You're absolutely right."

"We HAVE been waiting," Patrick added, "and frankly, I'm DONE waiting for someone else to save my butt."

"And playing second best is such a drag," Madilyn noted, "so from now on, this is OUR mission. WE'RE the Guardians of Gaia."

"And we ARE the Power Rangers!" Nikki yelled. "YOU'RE the fakes! If you were REAL Rangers, you'd be fighting to stop Walker!"

"What can I say?" the Doppelganger asked with a low chuckle as the eyes of the Blots began to shine through their visors as well. "I like playing for the winning team."

"Then you picked the wrong one!" Nikki shouted as the Gaia Rangers all hit their buckles with their thumbs, letting out a flash of light that blinded the fake Rangers for a moment.

"**Quake Ax!**" Dirk roared, locking his ax against the Power Sword and shoving hard on it, pushing the fake Red Ranger away.

"**Storm Lance!**" Patrick called, swinging his lance hard against the fake Blue Ranger's Power Lance. The two went into a quick thrust and dodge exchange before both split their lances into two smaller maces, locking up tight. However, Pat then kicked both feet out, nailing the Blue Mighty Morphin Ranger. The Green Gaia Ranger then landed on his back, kipped back up, and slashed his weapons hard across the fake Ranger, knocking him away.

"**Heat Bow!**" Nikki shouted as she and the Pink Ranger leaped into the air, firing arrows at each other. However, Nikki's was far faster, hitting the fake Ranger and giving Nikki enough time to dodge the opposing arrow in midair. The two dropped back to the ground, the Pink Ranger stumbling a bit due to the impact, granting the Red Gaia Ranger the chance to disconnect her Heat Sabers and slash past the fake Pink Mighty Morphin Ranger.

"**Lightning Daggers!**" Madilyn yelled, hurling her daggers at the Yellow Ranger's Power Daggers. The two sets of daggers collided in midair, but the electrical whips connecting the Lightning Daggers to the Violet Gaia Ranger's hands allowed her to then swing them at the unarmed Yellow Mighty Morphin Ranger, knocking her away in a flurry of sparks.

"**Flood Launcher!**" Layla cried, her and the Black Ranger exchanging fire until she finally managed to get through, knocking the Power Axe out of his hands. The Blue Gaia Ranger then dropped her cannon and rolled forward, scooping up her previously knocked-aside blasters, and unloaded a furious barrage of water and lightning blasts at the Black Mighty Morphin Ranger, sending him tumbling back.

The Doppelganger Lightless groaned as he blocked Dirk's ax with the Power Sword. "So, I heard you wanted to have a word with me?"

Dirk growled, pushing on the sword with his Quake Ax. "Actually, I've got five!"

With that, the Orange Gaia Ranger unlocked blades with the Doppelganger and shouted "**NEVER! USE! MY! FAMILY! AGAIN!**", scoring a direct hit with his ax with each word, the last one sending the fake Red Mighty Morphin Ranger sailing over to his fallen comrades. The Gaia Rangers quickly regrouped as the fakes stumbled back to their feet, both sides showing fatigue from the fight.

"Alright, Power Rangers, let's bring 'em together!" Nikki ordered.

"Blots, combine weapons!" the Doppelganger Lightless commanded.

"_**Gaia Blaster!**_" the Gaia Rangers shouted, assembling their weapons.

"**_Power Blaster!_**" the fake Rangers growled as they also combined their weapons.

"**_FIRE!_**" both sides roared, as both blasters fired five beams each that collided, pushing hard on each other. After a few moments, the Gaia Rangers let out a loud battle cry, focusing as much energy as they could until the Gaia Blaster finally cut through, destroying the Power Blaster utterly. The Black, Pink, Blue, and Yellow Rangers all reverted back to Blots before evaporating, the Doppelganger left in its true form. Just as he thought about making a break for it, though, the Rangers quickly drew their Gaia Sabers, inserting their crystals inside.

"**_Quintuple-mental Slash!_**" the Rangers yelled at the top of their lungs, swinging their Gaia Sabers and sending a combined assault of their five elements out, swiping past the Doppelganger Lightless. The monster roared as his body was overloaded, collapsing in an explosion and sending a large puff of black smoke up into the sky.

* * *

"You've GOT to be kidding me!" Darkea screeched as she watched the Doppelganger be destroyed, inadvertently waking Sphantis from his slumber.

"He's not finished yet, Darkea!" Walker growled, raising his staff over the fireplace. "Dark Staff of the Wyvern, make the Doppelganger grow!"

Suddenly, the wyvern head on Walker's staff opened its jaws. It spewed out a thick, black smog into the fire, causing the flames to burn larger. Meanwhile, Walker sensed the Doppelganger Lightless' energy be restored from far off, and prepared himself to watch Round 2.

* * *

Up in the sky, the Gaia Rangers watched on as a black flame was suddenly pumped into the smog released from the Doppelganger's destroyed body. Once it was finished, the smoke was reformed into a giant-sized version of the Doppelganger Lightless, now wielding a black and gold version of the Power Sword. The Rangers backed off, raising their Gaia Sabers skyward.

"**_We need Gaia Zord power, now!_**" the Rangers called as the sabers sent out five streams of light. Within moments, the Gaia Zords came roaring in. The team leaped up into the air, caught by beams emitted from the Zords and teleported straight to the cockpits.

"**Gaia Zords, combine!**" Nikki ordered, the team swapping out their primary crystals for the Unity Crystals. The Zords sprung into the air, shifting their bodies around before connecting into the giant robot, the team's cockpits coming together in the robot's head.

"_**Gaia Megazord, power up!**_" the Power Rangers called as the Megazord came to life.

"I'll tear that robot apart!" the Doppelganger yelled, leaping at the Gaia Megazord. However, just as the giant robot was about to stop it with a punch, the monster turned to grey liquid, shifting around the Megazord before reforming behind it and slashing it across the back.

"**Behemazooka**!" Dirk shouted as the Behemoth Zord's jaws opened on the chest of the Megazord, firing an orange orb of energy. However, before it could hit the Doppelganger, the monster turned into its liquefied mass, creating a funnel to suck in the orb and launch it right back at the Gaia Megazord, blasting it hard.

"Jeez!" Madilyn cried as sparked flew in the cockpit. "It's like it knows every move the Megazord can make!"

"When it was reading our minds before, it must've learned them all!" Dirk realized.

"Then we're gonna need some extra protection!" Layla noted, inserting the Turtle Crystal into her blaster and pulling the trigger. "Turtle Zord, power up!"

The Gaia Megazord unleashed an aquamarine beam of light, calling the Turtle Zord out of a nearby lake. It leaped at the Megazord, folding its head and flippers back into its shell before unfolding a grip on its underside. The robot caught it as it arrived, clutching the grip with its left hand.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Turtle Shield!**_" the Rangers called. The Doppelganger Lightless ran in, swinging its sword, but was blocked by the shield. However, it smirked as soon as they connected, turning to liquid and appearing behind the Megazord again, cutting it across the back. The Gaia Megazord collapsed to the ground, the Turtle Shield rolling around like a hubcap.

"Nikki, we gotta do something!" Patrick yelled as power shorted out throughout the Megazord. "If we take anymore hits like that, we'll be history!"

Nikki slammed her fist on the console. "Darn it! I am NOT giving up!"

Suddenly, a pink shimmer of light appeared between Nikki's fingers. The Red Ranger blinked in surprise, unfolding her fist. Laying in the palm of her hand was a pink crystal, glittering brightly. Looking at it up close, Nikki watched as the transparent image of a nine-tailed fox stared back at her, cooing softly.

"Whoa, a new Gaia Zord!" Nikki gasped in amazement.

"Let's hurry up and use it, then!" Dirk suggested as the Doppelganger Lightless walked over to the Megazord, sword raised for one final strike.

"Right!" Nikki replied, inserting the pink crystal into her blaster and pulling the trigger. The Megazord turned onto its back, firing a pink beam out of its eyes that blinded the Doppelganger before flying off in the distance, hitting a mountain. From it, a large column of pink flames shot up, and a pink Gaia Zord resembling a nine-tailed fox emerged from the column.

"Rangers!" Jowar declared over the communicators. "Mastering the Heat Bow, as well as showing the fiery determination in your hearts, has earned you the loyalty of the Kitsune Zord!"

"Like the legendary Kyubi no Kitsune!" Layla added. "And the Doppelganger shouldn't know what it can do!"

"Kitsune Zord, power up!" Nikki ordered, the Kitsune Zord leaping from the flames and stampeding over. With a howl, it unfurled all of its tails, releasing pink fireballs from the tips of each. The Doppelganger Lightless managed to turn to liquid and shift around them, but the Kitsune Zord then wheezed out a huge stream of pink flames. It caused the liquidy mass to fall apart, reforming into the Doppelganger before he was scorched by the flames.

"Now let's see what this new Zord can REALLY do!" Nikki cheered. "Kitsune Zord, attach!"

The Kitsune Zord cooed, leaping up and shifting its body around to create a large crossbow for the Gaia Megazord. It landed in the robot's right hand, its eyes flashing pink as the Megazord was powered up by its intense heat.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Kitsune Bow!**_" the Rangers called. The Doppelganger Lightless charged them with its sword, but the Megazord fired the crossbow, using the Kitsune Zord's tails as arrows. The burning arrows blasted the monster hard before regenerating on the Zord.

"Rangers, the book I'm reading suggests the Kitsune Bow has a second form!" Jowar advised. "Hold it in the left hand, and it will become a long bow, able to shoot arrows created from the Megazord's right hand formed by the Phoenix Zord! Between the two Zords, the arrows will be fired with such speed and power, one should be more than enough to destroy the Doppelganger!"

"Alright, then let's put this thing outta our misery!" Dirk yelled as the Kitsune Zord leaped out of the Gaia Megazord's right hand, reforming into a long bow before being caught in the left hand. The Megazord pulled back on the string with its right hand, which produced a red flaming arrow that mixed with the Kitsune Bow's pink flames.

"_**Final Flare!**_" the Rangers shouted, the Gaia Megazord releasing the arrow and sending it sailing at the Doppelganger. The monster tried to use its sword to parry the arrow, but it shot clean through the sword before blowing up in the Lightless' chest, the sword falling apart. The Doppelganger stumbled a bit, holding one hand to its head as its eyes shimmered for a moment, before collapsing to the ground in a massive explosion. Black smoke rose up from its decimated body, hovering in the sky for a moment before evaporating.

"...Holy cow!" Layla exclaimed, her eyes wide as saucers. "That was INSANE!"

"Hope that teaches Walker never to mess with our minds ever again," Dirk said, feeling a bit relieved.

* * *

Darkea gulped slightly, her and Sphantis watching the battle wrap up. The two turned to wear Walker was sitting, completely expecting him to have another temper-tantrum. However, upon looking him in the face, he seemed a bit out of it, his eyes rolling up into the back of his head while looking up a little. Darkea slowly creeped over to him, waving her hand in front of his face.

"...Walker?" she asked, still waving her hand a little. "...Walker? Yo, bro, you awake?"

"WWWAAALLLLKEERRRR!" Sphantis roared in his face, causing him to come out of his trance and fall backward out of his chair. The Shadowmancer quickly got to his feet, glaring at the two.

"Totally his fault," Darkea said, pointing to the hybrid Lightless.

"Yes, I could hear you both!" Walker yelled, fetching his staff. "I was trying to focus!"

"On what?" Darkea inquired. "Freaking us out?"

"Just before the Doppelganger was destroyed, he sent me a telepathic message," Walker explained, walking over to the case holding the Lightless figurines. "As I suspected, the Rangers are hiding in the Ancient Library."

Darkea groaned. "Oh no, that means they're working with that old coot, Jowar!"

"He may be our enemy, but you will speak of him with respect," Walker insisted, earning a quick eye roll from his sister. "The point is, we finally have the exact whereabouts of the library, and now, we also know where the Rangers are hiding."

"So, do we storm the place, or sneak in when they're all asleep?" Darkea wondered aloud.

"Storm!" Sphantis insisted. "STOORRRRRMMM!"

"Neither, for the moment!" Walker answered, trying to get the ringing in his ears to stop. "We lack sufficient man-power to lay siege on the Ancient Library, and it has a mystical security system that would alert them to our presence the moment we came within a yard of the place."

"Then what's the plan?" Darkea asked, confused.

"We bide our time, for now," Walker responded, smirking evilly. "However, I have a few experiments I'd like to run to prepare for the battle ahead, and it all starts with YOU, Sphantis."

Sphantis tilted his head as Walker approached him. "Your birth has inspired me. You will be the key to creating a more powerful army than Gaia has ever seen...!"

* * *

Nikki smiled; she and the other Rangers were seated in the main chamber. Jowar was standing before them, pacing a little while stroking his beard. It almost felt like they were back at college, about to sit down for a class, and Jowar was their teacher. Mind you, that wasn't all that far from the truth, which made Nikki feel all the more at ease in this scenario.

"Guardians..." Jowar started to say before smiling and correcting himself. "...Rangers. You've done well thus far. You've defended villages from Blot attacks, stood up to many different monsters, gained access to more of your powers, and conquered your own self-doubts. You should be proud of yourselves."

The team all smiled with pride for a moment before Jowar turned stern again. "However, things will only get harder from here on out. The Shadowmancers know of your current strength, and just how far it goes. If you're going to continue to best him, you need to surpass your current limits."

"I'll get to work on expanding everyone's training schedules," Nikki declared.

"I have some new tech I've been thinking of constructing, if you wanna give me a hand with it," Layla suggested, earning a nod from the wizard.

"Also, you will need to gain further access to your powers," Jowar added.

"Whoa, there's still more?" Dirk asked.

Jowar chuckled. "Much more. The truth is, you've still only barely tapped into the full potential of your powers. With that said, I believe it's about time I was honest with you about something: There weren't five Guardians of Gaia. There were SIX."

"Six?!" Patrick exclaimed. "But there's only five of us, one for each element!"

"You forget, there are SEVEN elements," Jowar pointed out. "The element of light...has no matching Guardian at this time. However, there was also a Guardian of Darkness, one who fought to overthrow the power-mad leaders of the darker realms of Gaia and liberate them for their inhabitants that chose not to fight."

"You mean like the Night Elves?" Madilyn asked, getting a nod. "Well, what happened?"

"At first, I wasn't sure, until I did further research, as I'm sure Walker has by now," Jowar explained. "It seems the sixth Guardian was unfortunately destroyed sometime before the final battle, and his crystal and Gaia Zord became lost. My suspicion is that it MAY have crossed over to Earth, but then, if all of you were brought over, and the crystals with them..."

"Then the sixth crystal might be out there somewhere," Layla said. "Any leads as to where it might be?"

"If Walker hasn't found it yet, then it must not be in the dark realm he's currently taking up residence in," Jowar surmised. "Still, it stands to reason it may be in one of the others, all of which are crawling with near endless hordes of Blots. Finding the crystal will not be easy, but to achieve victory over Walker, it may be necessary."

* * *

Deep in the darkest regions of Gaia's snowy north, a giant white wolf stood atop a mountain, overlooking the snow-covered lands before it. Laying all across the mountain-side were at least a dozen giant Blots, all evaporating in the ice cold wind. One reached up to the wolf, its eye having a pleading stare to it, only for its claw to be cut off by a figure in a black hooded cloak, the Blot fading away.

The figure turned away, clutching the large black and indigo sword in both hands before resting it in a sheath slung over his back. He looked up to the wolf, who bowed its head at him respectfully. A white light glimmered in the figure's hand who opened it to reveal a white crystal.

"Your friend is to the south, isn't it?" the figure in black asked, amber eyes peering out from under the hood. "Fine. Let's get going, then. Time's running out, and I've got deadlines to meet."

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** Well, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Originally, this and Chapter 6 were going to be a two-parter, but they kind of dealt with very different themes, so I decided to make them separate but linked in that one follows and deals with the resolution of the other. Things'll kinda cool down a little bit for a few chapters before the story gets crazy again, but bear with it, and I think you'll be satisfied. The next arc will mostly centre around development toward the next big thing to happen. Stuff like the team continuing to grow stronger, new weapons and powers being unveiled, the search for the sixth crystal, Walker's grand plans, the mystery of the crystal in Jowar's possession, and the figure in black. It's all leading to something that will challenge the Rangers far more than even the fake Mighty Morphin Power Rangers did.

Speaking of, if you haven't guessed it, the reason for the Ranger vs Ranger team brawl was to develop the Gaia Rangers' characters past this idea that they're stand-ins for the others. They ARE the Power Rangers for this story, and this was to get them to the point where they realized this, made peace with this fact, and became fully committed to their roles. Also, I WAS originally going to have the Doppelganger Lightless assume the form of the Dino Megazord after growing, but I thought what I went with worked better, as I was always planning to unveil the Kitsune Zord at this point, and it didn't seem right that the Rangers only beat the original Megazord just because they got a new Zord/weapon. After all, looking back on episodes of MMPR Season 1, while it's true the Rangers got their butts kicked around a lot, the Megazord was generally made of sterner stuff, losing only to the most powerful of opponents. Lemme know what you think, though.

Speaking of the Kitsune Zord, while its timing and function was always planned, one thing I was kinda on the fence about was the name. I started with Kitsune Zord, then I started thinking Kyubi Zord or Fox Zord, but ultimately decided to go ahead with Kitsune Zord. As you can see, it has a number of fire oriented attacks, possessing superior firepower to the Phoenix Zord. However, as shown in the Megazord battle, combining the power of both can be devastating on opponents.

Anyway, next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, Walker begins his experiments to create more powerful monsters. To combat them, Layla tries to increase their firepower, but will it wind up blowing up in their faces? Ja né!


	8. Research and Risks

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Patrick let out a yell as he leaped into the air, bringing his Gaia Saber down hard on Nikki's, who planted her feet firmly in the dirt below. The two were both morphed for their most recent duel, having learned after their last one that they were both a bit into fencing and weren't great at holding back, meaning it was a matter of either switching to training swords or morphing to avoid hurting each other. And, while they had originally wanted to use training swords, the ones they made were a bit unbalanced compared to their real swords. Thus, they went with morphing, under the rule that first to a single blow wins and no crystals allowed.

"Not holding back, are you?" Nikki asked, smirking under her helmet as they locked up.

"Wouldn't dream of it, boss," Patrick replied.

"Better not," Nikki said. "That's an order!"

At this, the two got into a furious parry-fest, sparks flying from their swords as they connected. After a few moments of neither being able to get a hit in, Patrick finally decided to get fancy, throwing his feet out from under himself to knock Nikki's sword out of her hands before kipping up, looking to get a strike in, only for the Red Ranger to catch his blade between her palms. With a loud cry, Nikki clutched her hands around the sword and did a sideflip to her left, yanking the Gaia Saber from Patrick's hands and tossing it aside.

"Nice trick!" Patrick complimented as the two assumed a fighting stance.

"Learned it from you in the field," Nikki admitted, preparing herself for Pat's next move. "Sometimes, being a good leader means to learn from your team-mates."

"Funny, 'cuz I learned this from you!" the Green Ranger yelled, throwing a jumping kick at Nikki's head, which she just barely managed to block, only for Patrick to spin around and deliver a foot to her gut, causing her to go to a knee. As she did, Patrick rolled forward on the ground, scooping up both Gaia Sabers. He then got to his feet as his opponent got back to hers and thrust the swords forward, Nikki just barely able to get her forearms up as Pat crossed the blades in front of her neck from behind.

"Luck of the Irish always comes through for me," Patrick said with a smirk. "Might wanna give it up, I've clearly got the advantage here."

Nikki grinned, throwing her head back and catching the back of her helmet into Patrick's visor, making him stumble back a little. Wrenching the sabers from his hands, the Red Ranger leaped up and threw a foot into his chest, knocking him to the ground. She then hooked her arm around both of his legs and pinned him down on his shoulders, keeping both blades hovering just before his face.

"I prefer to rely on skill over fortune," Nikki teased as the two demorphed.

Patrick blushed a little, embarrassed. "I'll try to remember that."

"Wow, you woulda been great on the mat," the two heard Dirk comment as he walked over, smirking at the two. "That was a heck of a pin."

"Thanks," Nikki replied, getting to her feet and helping Patrick back up. "Looks like you're feeling a lot better."

"Well, getting there," Dirk admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just thought I'd come see if you guys heard what Layla is up to."

Nikki blinked. "Um, 'up to'?"

* * *

Walker smirked as he watched the vial of chemicals heat over a black flame. Finally, after an hour of heating, it reached the correct temperature, to which the Shadowmancer signaled Sphantis to remove it from its resting place, as he was immune to being harmed by black flames. The hybrid Lightless then poured it into a beaker of Walker's experimental toxins, watching as the chemicals mixed immediately into the very same goop that gave Sphantis life.

"Excellent, Sphantis," Walker proclaimed. "Now, all we need to do is test it on a few 'willing subjects'. Speaking of which, Darkea!"

Darkea groaned, walking over while pulling on a large steel chain wrapped around a dozen Blots. "I sure hope it was worth it to corral these Blots!"

"Tsk tsk, sister," Walker replied while wagging his finger, Sphantis mimicking his movement. "You've seen what a single monster created by the Ebony Venom can do first hand. Imagine what a small pack of Blots with the toxins running through their bodies could do."

Darkea rolled her eyes as Walker took out a syringe, filling it full of the Ebony Venom as he grinned evilly at the Blots. "And personally, I can't wait to see how the Rangers handle against them."

* * *

Layla yelped as a spark flew from the circuit panel she was screwing in. Quickly running a diagnostic on it with a device that Jowar had loaned her, she saw it was just a slight overload, nothing more. Still, she would need to keep a close eye on her new creation. After all, if it suffered an overload now, just imagine what could happen when it was used to do as it was designed to do.

"Hey Lay-" Nikki started to say as she and the other Rangers entered Layla's new lab in the Ancient Library, only for her eyes to widen at the sight before her. "Whoa, what the heck is that?!"

Layla smiled, looking over at the group. "Ya like?"

Madilyn looked over what appeared to be a bronze coloured bazooka of some sort, with the barrel shaped like a basilisk's head. "...You're making weapons now?"

"Well, I'm improving our arsenal," Layla answered. "After all, why resort only to what the original Guardians had at their fingertips? I call this baby the Bronzooka."

"So, how's this thing work?" Dirk asked.

"Well, you take your crystal, insert it into this slot here," Layla explained, opening a panel to reveal a slot for a crystal, "and the Bronzooka will charge up a blast three times as powerful as our Crystal Blast Morphers or Gaia Sabers could ever produce."

"Sounds like it packs a lot of heat," Nikki observed. "Any idea when it'll be ready?"

Layla crossed her arms, thinking it over. "Well, it should be just about good to go now, but I'd like to do some preliminary tests before we use it in the field, just in-"

The blonde techno-wizard was suddenly cut off as the alarm went off throughout the building. Getting up from her chair, she ran after the team as they headed to the main chamber, where Jowar was observing the Viewing Globe. Zooming in on a location, the Rangers watched as a group of dryads ran across the northern plains from a horde of Blots, led by Darkea.

"So, Walker's sister decided to come out for a romp," Patrick muttered.

"I don't see any Lightless with her, though," Layla noted.

"Nonetheless, you should remain on guard," Jowar advised. "I sense a trap in the works."

"Got it," Nikki replied. "**It's Morphin Time!**"

At this command, the team pulled their crystals free of their chains, unholstered their Crystal Blast Morphers, and placed the crystals inside. Raising their blasters skyward, the group pulled the triggers and yelled, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The five rainbow coloured blasts shot out, spiraling around in the air above, before coating the team with their energy, morphing them into the Gaia Rangers as Jowar teleported them to the plains, cutting the Blots off from the fleeing dryads.

"Back off, Darkea!" Nikki yelled at the Blots' leader, just as the dryads stopped and turned to see their rescuers.

"Look, it's the Guardians!" a teal-haired dryad cheered, the others likewise in amazement.

"_**Power Rangers, Guardians of Gaia!**_" the Rangers called as they took on a group pose, their suits shining with light in the form of their various elements.

"Blots, attack!" Darkea commanded, the hordes of dark creatures roaring and charging the Rangers. The team likewise dashed at the group, though not before Dirk and Layla swapped their Gaia Sabers for Patrick and Madilyn's blasters, and Nikki brought out her Heat Sabers. As such, the Orange and Blue Rangers took the rear as the others charged the front lines, covering them with blaster fire.

"Heads up, Darkea!" Patrick yelled, crossing blades with the dark swordswoman.

"So, little green back to take me on again?" Darkea asked, the two pushing their weapons hard on each other. "Don't you ever get tired of me having to school you over and over?"

"Not even close!" Patrick shot back, the two unlocking blades and getting into a fierce exchange of swings and thrusts, each able to dodge and parry each other.

"**Flood Launcher!**" Layla cried, bringing her cannon out and blowing Blots down with ease. Just as she was feeling good about that, though, a scream turned her attention to the dryads, who were being overtaken by a second squad of Blots.

"Guys, the dryads!" Layla called to the others, who were still fighting off the first group.

"You and Dirk go help them!" Nikki ordered. "We can handle these ones!"

"Got it!" Dirk yelled as he and Layla ran in to help the dryads, Dirk aiming a fist at one Blot that was bullying the teal-haired dryad. "Get lost, you Rorschach test rejects!"

To Dirk's surprise, though, the Blot immediately caught his fist. It turned to face him, growling menacingly, and now that he was up close, Dirk could tell these Blots were different. They had eggplant-coloured vein-like lines across their bodies, their claws looked a bit sharper, their bodies a little fuller, and their single red eye was replaced by two purple ones. With a loud cry, the Blot holding Dirk's fist suddenly grabbed hold of his arm and hurled him aside, much to his shock.

"Okay, they're asking for it!" Dirk grunted, getting back up and hitting his buckle. "**Quake Ax!**"

Running back into the fray with his weapon in hand, Dirk cleaved and slammed several Blots, getting some distance between them and the dryads, but was quickly overwhelmed by them all. Likewise, Layla tried to blast them away with her Flood Launcher, only for a group of them to gang up and force their way through, tackling Layla to the ground.

"Darn it, there's too many!" Layla cursed, trying to get back up as the Blots went back to beating on Dirk or trying to catch the dryads, who were now running in terror again. "Desperate times calls for desperate measures! **Bronzooka!**"

Hitting her buckle, Layla brought out her new weapon in a bronze-coloured flash of light. Opening the slot for her crystal, she inserted it and shut it closed again, causing a scope to jut out from the bazooka. Aiming carefully, she locked onto the Blots chasing the dryads, finger hovering over the trigger until she reached the perfect moment.

"**Bronzooka, FIRE!**" she yelled, pulling the trigger. However, while it did send out a massive blue blast at the Blots, knocking them off their feet with ease, the Bronzooka also sent out a feedback of energy at Layla, shocking her hard as the ground exploded around her. This immediately got the attention of the other Rangers, who all looked on as Layla almost hovered for a few moments in the smoke and dust before collapsing, her helmet's visor busted open and her suit charred.

"**LAYLAAAA!**" Madilyn screamed, cutting down the Blot she was facing and dashing to her sister.

"Patrick, disengage!" Nikki commanded, running after Madilyn. "Everyone, fall back to Layla!"

Patrick quickly disengaged from Darkea, giving chase after the others. Dirk let out a loud roar, shoving the Blots off of him as he rushed to Layla's side, Madilyn having already beaten him there and removed her own helmet, tears falling from her face. The Blue Ranger demorphed, her eyes closed as she was clearly unconscious.

"LAYLA?!" Madilyn demanded, clutching Layla close to her. "**LAYLA! OPEN YOUR EYES!**"

"Madilyn, we need the last two Gaia Sabers!" Nikki yelled, drawing her own as the others placed their crystals in theirs.

Madilyn wiped her face, passing the Gaia Sabers to Dirk, who retrieved the blue crystal from the smoking Bronzooka. All the five main crystals were inserted into the Gaia Sabers as Nikki, Patrick, and Dirk clutched them, waiting as the Blots all started to form up to charge them.

"**_Quintuple-mental Slash!_**" the Red, Green, and Orange Rangers yelled, swinging the sabers and launching an assault of fire, wind, water, earth, and lightning slashes. The combined attacks managed to blow the powered-up Blots back, albeit still not destroyed.

"Jowar, we need an emergency teleport!" Nikki declared over the communicator.

"Understood!" Jowar replied. "You need to bring the dryads closer to you to bring them along!"

"Got it!" Nikki responded as she felt something approaching from behind, spinning around just in time to block a slice from Darkea. "Dirk, Patrick, bring the dryads over!"

"I'm not letting you get away this time!" Darkea growled, pushing hard on Nikki's blade as Dirk and Patrick ran to get the dryads.

"Try and stop us!" the Red Ranger roared, shoving Darkea back before drawing her Heat Sabers. Putting the fiery blades together as the Heat Bow, she pulled back on the string as an arrow materialized in her hand, firing it at the Shadowmancer. Darkea tried in vain to block it with her sword, but the arrow exploded on impact, snapping the dark blade in half and sending her tumbling across the ground. Darkea growled as the Rangers brought the dryads together, and within moments, teleported away in a flash of light.

"That one's gonna cost you, Rangers...!" Darkea hissed, staring angrily at her destroyed sword.

* * *

"-think she'll be okay?" a voice said through the darkness.

"Well, she survived an explosion, I think THAT'S a good sign," another voice replied as the darkness started to fade.

"I should've been with her," a far more familiar voice sobbed as the Rangers' bedroom started to appear through the haze.

"Guys, she's waking up!" a fourth voice said before its owner, Dirk, leaned into view.

Layla moaned as she felt the world still slowly come back to her, wincing as she tried to sit up and failed. Looking around, the team were all there, as well as Jowar. Their expressions told the story: Jowar and Patrick were relieved to see her awake, Dirk seemed a bit amazed, Nikki was relieved but also concerned, and Madilyn looked like she had been crying for three days straight.

"...What...what happened?" Layla asked.

"Oh gosh, sis!" Madilyn sobbed, restraining the urge to run over and hug her, instead taking hold of her hand.

"You were trying to save the dryads," Nikki explained, "but something went wrong-"

"The Bronzooka..." Layla sighed, looking away shamefully. "It overloaded."

"I've done my best to heal the wounds you suffered, but I'm afraid my healing magic is a bit rusty," Jowar said.

"Give it to me straight, Jowar," Madilyn muttered, looking like she was trying FAR too hard to be strong, "how long has she got?"

Jowar's shoulders slumped as his eyes narrowed. "...Oh, I'd say 60-70 years, given her current shape and diet."

Nikki rolled her eyes. "The suit took most of the damage, thank goodness."

"Your wounds should be fully healed in a few days, as long as you rest up," Jowar added, smiling encouragingly at Layla.

"...Wh-What about the dryads?" Layla inquired.

"We got 'em," Dirk answered. "They're safe, although they're having to hide out here for a little while."

"Hopefully, they're staying out of my garden," Jowar growled. "I don't CARE how they can improve the arrangements there, it's set up how I LIKE it."

"Oh, and don't worry," Patrick added, "we managed to salvage the Bronzooka. Maybe when you get better, you can find out what went wrong with-"

"Forget it," Layla muttered, turning away. "Just trash it."

"_**HUH?!**_" everyone asked, disbelieving what they were hearing the Blue Ranger say.

"I thought I could make new weapons and equipment for the team, but I was wrong," Layla explained, not looking any of the team in the eye.

"C'mon, sis," Madilyn reasoned, "so you had a set-back, but-"

"If I hurt myself from messing up, that's one thing," Layla argued, "but what if next time, one of you gets hurt, or worse?! I should just stop now, before I get anybody killed!"

The group didn't know what to say, leaving Layla to just sadly whisper, "Please, just...just leave me alone..."

The others looked to each other, still unsure of what to say. Deciding to let her be for now, the other Rangers and Jowar left the bedroom, leaving the young blonde to herself, sobbing quietly as she thought about what went wrong and promising to herself that she'd never try this ever again.

* * *

"I'm going to tear the Red Ranger apart for this!" Darkea screamed, throwing her broken sword across the chamber.

"Calm down!" Walker yelled. "You'll get your chance. AND, I already have a replacement sword in mind for you to boot."

"I don't want a replacement sword, I want MY sword," Darkea growled, "and I'll NEVER have it back now, thanks to the Red Ranger."

Walker rolled his eyes, turning his attention to the powered-up Blots. "It seems the Venom Blots were able to take the Rangers' best attacks pretty well. Plus, it looks like one of the Rangers may be down for at least a few days. Once I make more Venom Blots, they'll be able to wipe Gaia clean of its Guardians, and you'll be able to have your petty revenge on the Red Ranger."

Darkea scowled. "Fair enough, I suppose..."

* * *

Dirk grumbled to himself, pacing back and forth in the main chamber. Just when he felt like heading off to vent, though, one of the dryads, the teal-haired one he'd tried to save earlier, walked up to him, fidgeting nervously.

"Excuse me, but I wanted to thank you all on behalf of my family," the dryad said.

"Oh, hey, don't worry about it, it's just our job," Dirk replied, putting up his best attempt at a smile.

"Still, I can't help but worry about your friend," the dryad went on, looking concerned as her gaze turned to the door leading to the Rangers' bedroom. "If you hadn't come to help us-"

"Hey, it's like I said, it's what we do," Dirk explained. "Helping people, it's kinda becoming almost second nature to us, even when we know the risks. I'm sure Layla feels the same."

The dryad didn't look all that convinced, so Dirk gently placed a hand to her shoulder. "You shouldn't worry too much about it. You should be with your folks, helping them ease into this place until we find better surroundings for you all."

The dryad nodded a little sadly, taking her leave. Dirk sighed, shoulders slumping, until he walked over to the table in the middle of the main chamber, where Patrick, Madilyn, and Nikki were sitting. They all looked severely bummed out, save for Patrick, who was staring somewhat amusedly at Dirk as he came over.

"Get her non-existent phone number?" the Green Ranger teased, clearly trying to break the ice.

"Thought about it," Dirk replied. "Might be a good idea to wait until things are a little less hectic and depressing, though."

"Man, I cannot believe Layla is just gonna give up," Nikki said sadly, resting her chin on her hands.

"I know!" Madilyn exclaimed. "I've never, EVER seen her quit on building ANYTHING!"

"Guys, I don't like this either, but you gotta remember, she's doing what she thinks she has to in order to protect us," Dirk pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I'm HER big sister," Madilyn grumbled. "I'M supposed to be protecting HER."

Patrick sighed, looking to Jowar as he approached the group. "Jowar, do you have any idea what went wrong with the Bronzooka?"

"My guess is that it simply couldn't handle the power and overloaded," Jowar answered, sitting down to join the Rangers.

"Makes sense," Nikki replied. "Remember, she built it with the intent for it to fire a blast three times as powerful as our blasters or sabers' finishers."

"You thinking of trying to fix it?" Dirk asked.

"Well, we can't just let her give up on the thing she loves to do," Patrick reasoned. "I mean, it'd be like if you swore never to wrestle or grow crops again, or if Nikki never practiced karate again, or Madilyn never annoyed us again."

"Exactly!" Madilyn said, thinking for a moment. "...Hey, wait a minute!"

"You DO love to annoy Pat, Madilyn, just admit it and move on," Nikki proclaimed, getting a nasty scowl from Madilyn.

"Okay, so we fix it, but how?" Dirk inquired. "I dunno about you guys, but I'm not exactly good with machines."

"Repairing the damage should be easy enough, if Layla kept the blueprints on paper," Patrick explained. "But yeah, the rest is a little easier said than done."

Jowar stroked his beard, deep in thought. "Hmm...You know, there MAY be a way to improve the Bronzooka and fix its power problem."

"Alright, then let's get to it," Nikki declared, the group heading off to the lab.

* * *

Layla groaned as she woke up. Her pillowcase was still damp from having cried herself to sleep a few hours ago, and her eyes stung a little from the ordeal. Of course, that was nothing compared to the pain still coursing through her body, or the heartache she was feeling over having the Bronzooka fail so epically.

_What am I gonna do?_ Layla wondered as she looked up at the top bunk. _Without building stuff, all I do on the team is shoot things and get my butt kicked when I'm ganged up on. Maybe I should just give my crystals away and look for a way home..._

"Hello?"

Layla looked over at the door to the bedroom. Peering in was one of the dryads from earlier, the one with teal hair and orange-red eyes. She nervously slipped into the room, casting her eyes down at the floor and rubbing her arm.

"Can I help you?" Layla asked, confused.

"I, um...I wanted to say thank you for saving my family," the dryad said, "and that I'm sorry that saving us got you hurt."

Layla smiled a little. "It's alright. It wasn't your fault, it was MY fault. I made a mistake."

"Only because you were trying to help us, though," the dryad insisted, finally looking Layla in the eye.

Layla sighed. "Listen, miss...?"

"Faye," the dryad answered.

"Faye, back there, I messed up," Layla explained. "I thought I could be a Guardian of Gaia, but so far, all I've done is get my butt handed to me and blow up my own inventions. It's only by luck that anyone got saved today."

"Still, you tried, and we WERE saved because of that," Faye rationalized. "Isn't that the far more important thing?"

Layla looked away. "I just keep thinking about what could've happened if someone else had used the Bronzooka, and it'd backfired even worse. I can't ask them to take the risk of the stuff I build for them blowing them up."

For a few moments, neither person said anything, leaving Layla to just stare at the wall her bed was laying against. However, after what seemed like an hour of silence, it was broken when Faye crossed the room and gently held the Blue Ranger's hand. Layla looked down at Faye's hand, feeling a strange warmth pour out from it and fill her body. As Faye took her hand away, Layla could feel her pain start to fade, albeit very slowly.

"I don't know you or your friends that well," Faye said, looking Layla in the eyes, "but if they're anywhere near as good a people as you've demonstrated yourself to be, you won't have to ask them, they'll simply do it."

Layla blushed a little, looking back into Faye's eyes. Before she could say anything, though, the alarm went off throughout the library. Layla's eyes glanced over at the door, then down to her legs. Taking a deep breath, she focused all she could on moving her legs through the pain. After about a minute, she finally managed to get them swung over the edge of the bed, Faye helping her to her feet. The two made their way out of the bedroom to the main chamber, where Jowar was watching the globe worriedly.

"Jowar, what's happening?" Layla asked as the alarm died down.

"Layla, you should still be in bed!" the old wizard exclaimed.

"I'm fine, I just, I need to know what's going on," Layla practically begged.

Jowar sighed, zooming in on a location on the Viewing Globe. "The Blots from before have appeared again. The other Rangers have already gone ahead to battle them."

"But without the Flood Launcher, they can't form the Gaia Blaster, and they'll need that if they wanna leave a scratch on these new Blots!" Layla cried.

"Have confidence in your friends, Layla," Jowar said softly, trying to calm the Blue Ranger down. "They know what they're doing, and so do I."

Meanwhile, the Viewing Globe relayed the battle as the Gaia Rangers, already morphed, took on the new Venom Blots in a quarry. Patrick came leaping into a group of three with his Storm Lance, swiping it across them as hard as he could. Unfortunately, despite being stunned slightly, the Blots easily recovered, grabbing hold of the Green Ranger's lance and swinging him across the quarry.

"Man, these Blots fight rough!" Patrick groaned, getting back to his feet.

A few feet away, Nikki let out a fierce cry as she charged a trio of Venom Blots, Heat Sabers in hand. She slashed two hard, only for them to then grab hold of her blades. Nikki then flipped up, kicking the third in the face as she went up and over, but all she did was make the Blot stumble back a few steps and get angry. The three Venom Blots then threw a group dropkick at the Red Ranger, knocking her to the ground.

"Argh, even their usual weak-points aren't working!" Nikki cursed. "Do they even HAVE weaknesses?!"

On the other side of the quarry, Madilyn and Dirk were doing their best to fight the remaining six Venom Blots with their weapons. Madilyn hurled her Lightning Daggers out, keeping them chained to her hands with electricity, only for the Blots to grab hold of them. Under her helmet, though, Madilyn smirked, hauling back on them hard as Dirk leaped at the Blots, Quake Ax in hand, and managing to cleave them down hard, finally managing to destroy two. This victory was short-lived, though, as the remaining Venom Blots blasted them with projectile claw shots, sending them tumbling aside.

"Man, even with two down, they're still too much for us!" Madilyn yelled as she got to her hands and knees.

"We'll see about that!" Dirk roared. "It's time we called out the big guns! **Bronzooka!**"

Hitting his buckle, the Orange Ranger called forth the Bronzooka, clutching it hard as six Blots formed up and prepared to charge him. Meanwhile, Layla watched on, at first surprised to see the Bronzooka looking repaired, but then horrified as her mind flashed back to what happened to her, realizing what was about to happen now to Dirk.

"Dirk, DON'T!" Layla screamed into her communicator. "It's not safe!"

Dirk didn't respond. Instead, he opened the panel to the crystal slot, placing not only his own orange crystal into it, but a bronze crystal into a second slot right next to it, baffling Layla. With the panel shut, the targeting scope slid out, showing Dirk a clear shot of the Venom Blots charging toward him, claws outstretched.

"**Bronzooka, FIRE!**" the Orange Ranger called, pulling the trigger. The Bronzooka fired out an orange blast of energy, which suddenly reformed into an effigy of the Behemoth Zord that rammed the Venom Blots hard, taking the six out in a massive explosion.

Layla's jaw dropped, unbelieving of what she saw. "...H...How...?"

"I realized it when the Rangers were discussing how to fix the Bronzooka," Jowar explained, stroking his beard. "The Bronzooka required an additional crystal to maintain the power: The Focus Crystal, which is usually used to focus the energies of the Gaia Zords. It was just a simple matter of fixing the damage and installing the second slot."

Layla's eyes started to tear up as she felt herself overcome with emotion. "...I...I can't believe you guys did this..."

"Believe it," Dirk said over the communicator, having been listening. "We're a team, and we won't let any one member of this team quit what they do best because of a single accident."

Faye smiled warmly. "As I said, you never have to ask them to take a risk for you. They'll just do it."

Layla let out a quick sob before wiping her eyes, smirking. "...Right. Time I stopped feeling bad for myself and got back to what I do best."

* * *

"Their new weapon is working now!" Darkea shrieked as she watched the battle unfold. "We've gotta stop them before they pick ALL of the Venom Blots off!"

"Out of my way!" Walker growled, shoving his sister aside. "Dark Staff of the Wyvern, make the Venom Blots grow!"

The Shadowmancer raised his staff up over the fireplace, sending a plume of dark smog out of the wyvern head atop the staff. It poured into the flames, sending a dark fire out to the quarry that took in the darkness of the Venom Blots, turning them into a trio of gigantic Venom Blots. The three growled menacingly at the Rangers, looking to squash them all.

"Now, let's see if their new weapon can even leave a dent in my giant Venom Blots!" Walker exclaimed with a laugh.

* * *

The Rangers all immediately climbed out of the quarry to safety, inserting their crystals into their Gaia Sabers and raising them to the sky while calling, "**_We need Gaia Zord power, now!_**"

"Red Phoenix Gaia Zord, power up!" Nikki summoned, her sword sending out a red flame-like beam to the top of a nearby mountain, the Phoenix Zord taking off from it with flames trailing off of its feather-tips.

"Green Hippogriff Gaia Zord, power up!" Patrick yelled, a cyclone of green light launching from his saber into a cluster of white clouds, bringing out the Hippogriff Zord with a quick barrel roll.

"Orange Behemoth Gaia Zord, power up!" Dirk shouted, his blade firing out an orange beam into the woods, the Behemoth Zord stomping its way out on all fours.

"Violet Thunderbird Gaia Zord, power up!" Madilyn exclaimed, sending a violet lightning bolt up out of her sword to create a thundercloud in the sky, the Thunderbird Zord swooping out of it.

"Let's do it!" Nikki shouted as the team leaping to the Gaia Zords. The group were caught in four beams of light, fired out by their Zords, that teleported them straight to the Zord cockpits.

"Rangers, log on!" Nikki commanded, plugging her blaster and sword into their control slots.

"Patrick here, feeling lucky as I'll ever be!" Patrick replied.

"Dirk, armed and ready for action!" Dirk responded.

"This one's for my sister, you creeps!" Madilyn said, sending the Thunderbird Zord sailing down at the Venom Blots and launching lightning feathers from its wings. Despite the shocking attack, they were barely fazed, returning fire with claw shots that nearly grounded the violet Gaia Zord.

"Hang in there, Mad!" Patrick yelled, the Hippogriff Zord firing swirling green energy beams from its eyes, stunning a pair of the Venom Blots, only for the third to return fire with eye blasts of its own, knocking the Hippogriff Zord to the ground. "Gah! I've been hit hard!"

"Time to bulldoze these Blots!" Dirk roared, ramming the Behemoth Zord's horns into the Venom Blot that shot Patrick down. Unfortunately, the two remaining Blots quickly got back into the game, pushing on the third and shoving the Behemoth Zord back.

"Hang on, Dirk!" Nikki called, inserting the pink crystal into her blaster and pulling the trigger. "**Kitsune Zord, power up!**"

The Phoenix Zord let out a loud cry as it fired out a pink beam from its eyes, hitting a spot on the ground below. That point then shot a column of pink flames up, from which the Kitsune Zord leaped out of. It unleashed a barrage of pink fireballs from its nine tails on one of the Venom Blots in the back, while the Phoenix Zord heaved flames from its beak at the other. With them both temporarily stunned, the Behemoth Zord was able to shove them all hard, knocking them to the ground. Unfortunately, they all got back to their feet rather quickly.

"Darn it, we need more power!" Dirk cursed.

"Then let's take 'em down!"

The group all looked stunned as the Leviathan Zord suddenly slithered into view, unleashing a blast of ice on the Venom Blots. As they found themselves stuck in place, the Turtle Zord spun across the ground like a wheel, knocking into them to the ground once again.

"Layla, is that you?!" Nikki demanded.

"Sis, you should be in bed!" Madilyn scolded.

"Relax, you guys!" the Blue Ranger replied from her cockpit. "One of the dryads healed me up just enough that I could pilot the Leviathan Zord. Besides, this is the least I can do for all the work you guys did for me."

"Oh, you saw that, huh?" Patrick asked, a little embarrassed.

"The girl's got a point," Dirk noted. "Now, what do you say we send these Blots packing as a team?"

Layla nodded, pulling her Unity Crystal out. "**Gaia Zords, combine!**"

"_**Right!**_" the others yelled, drawing their own Unity Crystals. The five main Gaia Zords sprung into the air, shifting their bodies around before combining into the giant robot, the Rangers' cockpits joining together in the robot's head. The Kitsune Zord also leaped up, shifting its body about into a crossbow before being caught in the robot's right hand.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Kitsune Bow!**_" the Rangers called. The Venom Blots immediately launched eye blasts and claw shots at the Megazord, but it dodged to its side, returning fire with crossbow blasts. Despite sending all three tumbling to the ground, they still didn't look all that damaged.

"They're STILL going?!" Patrick exclaimed.

"We should try the Final Flare!" Madilyn suggested. "Nothing else will work!"

The team nodded, about to switch Kitsune Bow modes. However, before they could, the Turtle Zord flew up and slammed into a Venom Blot's skull before landing in front of the Gaia Megazord, slapping its fins excitedly.

"What's it trying to say?" Dirk asked, confused. The Turtle Zord then pointed a fin at the Kitsune Bow, then back to itself.

"Guys, I think it wants us to...fire it with the bow?" Nikki guessed, getting a nod from the Turtle Zord. "Can we even do that?"

"It's possible," Layla explained, "but using the energy of seven Zords could be a bit much. We could short out the whole Megazord."

Dirk smirked, holding up a bronze crystal. "Good thing we've still got this, then!"

"Of course!" Layla yelled excitedly. "Dirk, use the Focus Crystal, and we'll be able to blast those Blots back to the exploded pen they came from!"

Dirk nodded, placing the crystal in his blaster and firing. "You got it! Focus Crystal, power up!"

The Gaia Megazord suddenly began to glow in a bronze light, as did the Turtle Zord and the Kitsune Bow. The Turtle Zord suddenly sprung up, tucking its fins and head into its shell, and landing on the Kitsune Bow, which loaded it as ammo. The Venom Blots quickly took notice of this, forming up and charging up a combined eye blast.

"_**Heptagon Blast!**_" the Gaia Rangers shouted, the Kitsune Bow launching the Turtle Zord with the combined power of all seven Gaia Zords. The Venom Blots likewise returned fire in the form of a combined blast from their eyes, the two attacks forcing on each other hard. After a while, though, the Turtle Zord began to flash the seven colours of the seven Zords while forming a heptagon-shaped shield of bronze light around itself. It then ploughed straight through the Venom Blots' attacks and then slammed into the trio hard, blowing them all up before bouncing back to the Megazord unscathed.

"Now THAT'S gettin' 'er done!" Dirk proclaimed as the Rangers cheered in victory.

* * *

"Darn it all!" Darkea yelled, kicking a hole in the wall. "I can't believe I got my sword broken for THAT!"

"Tch, relax sister," Walker advised. "You won't be missing your sword for much longer. And for the record, those Venom Blots were a test run."

Darkea's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "THOSE were a test run?!"

Walker smirked, pressing on a brick on one of the walls. Suddenly, a squared-off section of the wall slid open, revealing a hidden chamber. Inside, several dozen Blots were being turned into Venom Blots, all howling as their bodies were filled with new power. Darkea's face started to turn an even paler shade of gray at the sight of them all.

"And I have Sphantis out in the darkest regions of Gaia, turning more Blots into Venom Blots," Walker went on. "Within a few days, we'll have an army of hundreds of Venom Blots...and that's only the beginning."

Darkea blinked in confusion until Walker reached into his pocket, pulling a stone figurine. "For if a group of ordinary Blots can awaken a powerful Lightless, what sort of monstrous forms could a group of Venom Blots unleash?"

* * *

Layla walked out of the bedroom on crutches, still taking things a bit easy as her body healed up. All of the dryads were gathered together, Jowar and the other Rangers showing them a location on the Viewing Globe. It was a deep forest, surrounded by rivers all around, and had a cave system underneath it, the perfect place to hide out from the Blots if they ever came back.

"Yes, I think this will suffice, Jowar," the leader of the family, a dryad with mahogany-coloured hair and cerulean eyes, commented. "Thank you for locating it for us."

"And, you'll be happy to know that there's a perfectly good area with which to grow a decent garden," Jowar noted. "You know, a garden of your own, so that you don't need to pick and nag and point out flaws in OTHER people's-"

"What Jowar is TRYING to say," Nikki cut in, covering the wizard's mouth, "is that everything you'll ever need is right there."

The leader giggled a little before shaking hands with the Red Ranger. "Thank you, all of you, for everything."

Faye nodded, looking to the team. "Agreed. I really have to say, I've been so amazed by you."

Dirk smiled, hands on his hips. "Well, like I said, it's all in a day's work for Dirk, the Ora-"

"Especially you, Layla," Faye admitted, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, especia-Wait, WHAT?!" Dirk demanded.

Layla's face turned red as Nikki's shirt. "R-Really?"

Faye nodded, taking the Blue Ranger's hands in her own. "Ever since I first saw you, trying to save us, I knew you were an amazing hero, with a heart of gold. Truly, you are the savior of my heart."

Dirk groaned as Faye gave Layla a peck on the cheek, falling to his knees as Patrick patted him on the shoulder and whispered, "It's okay, man. Maybe you can ask the next one for their metaphorical phone number."

"Just shut up..." Dirk moaned, the others having a good laugh, save for Layla, who looked about ready to faint from embarrassment.

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ For those wondering, yes, we will be seeing Faye again from time to time, though she won't be appearing in EVERY chapter. Just something I'm doing to test reader reactions. Also, while Dirk will be using the Focus Crystal when they need to use combined attacks like the Heptagon Blast, any of the Rangers can use the Bronzooka. I decided to make both the new weapon and the crystal bronze because it was brought to my attention that bronze was a rarely-if-ever-used colour in Power Rangers or Super Sentai. Sure, gold and silver are used ALL the time, but we don't see much of bronze.

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, a powerful new sword-wielding Lightless puts Patrick's fencing skills to the test. Can the Green Ranger overcome this new challenge? Ja né!


	9. Knight of the Wind

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Patrick took in a deep breath, standing in the middle of the woods in a green gi and blindfold. He clutched his Gaia Saber in both hands, holding it in front of his face. Finally, after a few moments, he nodded, letting Nikki, Madilyn, and Dirk know to unleash his new training opponents: Seven practice dummies, all made to look like Blots, equipped with seed blasters, built by Layla to track his movement and try to get a clear shot on him.

As soon as the dummies were dropped from their positions in the trees, Patrick went to work, using the sound coming from them and their blasters to locate and slash them down, all the while blocking seeds before they could make contact. It was over so quickly that Nikki nearly forgot to hit the stopwatch, just out of pure shock at how easily all of the dummies were not only defeated, but were now going to require a serious stitching back up.

"13.6 seconds!" Nikki declared as Patrick removed his blindfold. "That's amazing!"

"Yeah, against stationary targets is one thing, though, but real moving Blots would present real threats," Patrick admitted.

"Ugh, do you HAVE to push yourself this hard?" Madilyn asked. "Seriously, one of these days, you're gonna hurt yourself pretty bad."

"Well, I guess it'd be a nice change of pace if YOU were the one who told ME so for once," Patrick teased, Madilyn sticking her tongue out at him.

"Maybe you should ask Layla to build robots, then," Dirk joked. "They'd be better training buddies."

"Did I hear somebody ask me to build robots?" the group heard a familiar voice say, turning to face Layla as she walked toward the group. "Because I might just need to start giving hugs for that."

"Sis!" Madilyn cried happily, grabbing Layla in a big hug. "Ooh, I missed you!"

"I was only gone for two days," Layla replied, giggling. "We've been apart longer than that."

"I know, but I was worried about you," Madilyn said, breaking away. "Your injuries, being out in the wilderness-"

"Not being able to spy on me and my new girlfriend?" Layla suggested, cocking an eyebrow.

"How ARE you feeling, Layla?" Patrick asked, cutting Madilyn off from retorting.

"Already been to Jowar, and he gave me a clean bill of health," Layla answered, doing a small twirl to demonstrate. "I can resume Ranger duties whenever you need me."

"Good to hear," Nikki noted. "The regular packs of run-of-the-mill Blots were bad enough, but now with the Venom Blots backing them up, things have just been getting worse out there."

Dirk nodded, crossing his arms. "If you ask me, though, I got the sneaky suspicion that this is just the tip of the iceberg..."

* * *

Walker groaned, clutching onto his staff and trying to concentrate on the task at hand. He'd been at this all day, and he was only now finally managing to get the vapor left over from a squad of a dozen or so Venom Blots to enter the stone figurine held by the last remaining one currently residing in his and Darkea's chamber. He couldn't figure out exactly why this was such a problem, but his best guess was just how much more power he was trying to take apart and reassemble all at once. Thankfully, Darkea wasn't trying to interrupt the process...at least, not anymore, as the warning shot from the staff after the thirteenth time or so finally got it into her head not to.

Finally, much to his immense satisfaction, the dark vapor finally finished the funneling process, filling the Lightless figurine. It then rose up from the Venom Blot's claws and melted into its face, causing its body to grow and pulse around a bit until a whole new body burst out in black fog. Walker grinned, taking a sigh of relief.

"Behold, sister, the first of our newer, stronger Lightless!" Walker proclaimed. "I give you, the Ogre Lightless!"

However, as the two watched the fog dissipate, there was no ogre standing before them. Instead, there was a large, wicked-looking skeleton with black bones, and eggplant-coloured lines across its body that almost resembled veins. It wore dull grey armoured shoulder pads and a matching helmet, and clutched a long-sword in its right hand. Despite the lack of any sort of vocal cords, or any internal organs or muscles for that matter, it growled as it felt itself come to life.

"...Did you MELT its skin?" Darkea asked, looking ready to throw up.

"Clearly, the corrosive nature of the Ebony Venom knows no bounds," Walker replied, his eye twitching at the sight of this new monstrosity.

"On the contrary," the new Lightless hissed, testing his fingers and toes, "I feel somehow liberated without that horrid, fleshy form. You may refer to me as the Skeleton Lightless from now on."

"Of course," Walker said quickly. "Clearly, you have considerably more power flowing through your form now than you did before."

"Not to mention, my sword has grown sharper and deadlier," the Skeleton Lightless commented, giving his long-sword a small twirl. "It hungers for combat."

Walker smirked. "If you look to test your mettle, or your metal as it were, I know the best way to do so: Destroy the Power Rangers, then claim their Gaia Sabers as trophies."

* * *

Patrick sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he entered the main chamber of the Ancient Library. He'd been at training most of the day, only now ending just an hour before sundown, and probably had the scent to prove it, as he was sure Madilyn would point out the first chance she got. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew she had a point. Still, he couldn't help but shake the feeling that he hadn't trained enough. It was as if he knew that his regimen was lacking something important, but he couldn't place his finger on what it was.

"Something troubling you, Patrick?" Jowar asked, looking up from the Viewing Globe.

Patrick wanted to groan, once again having been read like a book by the old wizard, but suppressed it. "I dunno, just...You ever feel like you could be doing something better than you are, but you don't know how?"

Jowar let out a deep sigh, looking away for a moment. "...Unfortunately. But then, I suppose many of us do, especially in times like these."

"How do you get over it?" Pat inquired.

"I'm afraid I haven't quite discovered that answer for myself just yet," Jowar answered, arousing some curiosity from the redhead. "However, I believe that all any of us can do is the best we can for the moment, and hope that, when the time comes, a solution will present itself."

Patrick tilted his head, confused, but before he could ask further, the alarm went off. Jowar immediately turned to the Viewing Globe for the source of the alert as the other Rangers came running in. Soon enough, the globe zoomed in on a location seemingly in the middle of nowhere, no villages to be seen for miles, just an open field near a cliff-side...which was now set ablaze, leaving burning letters in the tall grass that spelled out 'I'm Right Here'. Zooming in further, Jowar located a large skeletal monster, staring up at the sky.

"Is that Lightless calling us out for a fight?!" Madilyn demanded.

"I've never seen that Lightless before," Jowar stated, stroking his beard.

"Hang on, look at his body," Layla pointed out, the Viewing Globe zooming in on the Skeleton Lightless' bones for a moment to reveal the eggplant lines. "It's the same as the Venom Blots."

"Hate to say I told ya so," Dirk muttered. "Well, there's no way we can just accept this, right? It's so obviously a trap."

The others nodded in agreement. However, as if answering them, the Skeleton Lightless drew his long-sword and pointed it to the south-east. Zooming out, the group watched as a city of at least a thousand, all of different, peace-loving races, revealed itself a few miles in the direction the monster was indicating. The proclamation was clear: Come and fight, or the city would be the next thing to burn.

Nikki clenched her chain hard. "...Right. Let's do this."

* * *

The Skeleton Lightless waited patiently, the flames a few feet behind him warming his bones. He could feel his sword hunger for battle, Walker's tales of the Rangers only causing it to grow ever hungrier. Yes, this would be a feast to remember.

Fortunately, the Skeleton Lightless didn't have to wait long, as the five humans suddenly teleported a couple of yards ahead of him. If he still had lips, he'd be grinning from ear to ear...if he still had ears, that is. He rested his long-sword on his shoulder, taking a single step forward.

"Your reputation precedes you!" he called. "As I suspected, you came, all to protect the city."

"Like we'd let you burn down a city of innocent people!" Nikki yelled.

"I'm afraid I may have lied a bit to get you here!" the Skeleton Lightless admitted. "I have no interest in those people! That's Walker's issue, not mine! I'm beyond the trivial issues of the living!"

"Then what do you want?!" Patrick demanded.

Again, the Skeleton Lightless felt the urge to smirk, lifting his sword off his shoulder. "While my need for combat and destruction was burned away with my transformation, my sword now possesses all of it. It hungers for battle, craves to feel itself clash against the weapons of my opponents, and from I've been told, you five are the strongest opponents a monster like myself could hope to find."

"We're not gonna fight you just for the sake of it!" Patrick exclaimed, baffled. "There's no point in that!"

The Lightless growled in the back of his non-existent throat, gripping the hilt of his long-sword tightly as the blade heated up. "You will fight...or you will be destroyed!"

Without further warning, the monster swung his sword, sending out a massive column of flames at the group. Seeing it coming, Nikki yelled out, "**It's Morphin Time!**", leading the group to load their crystals into their Crystal Blast Morphers and fire on the column. The two blasts collided, sending the energy of their shots back at the team and morphing them, but the intense flames still managed to rip through, knocking them back in an explosion of raw power.

"Man, this guy packs a serious wallop!" Dirk groaned as the team struggled to get back to their feet.

"Let's show him the kind of wallop WE pack, then!" Madilyn suggested.

The rest of the team nodded, Patrick and Madilyn switching up side-arms with Dirk and Layla, leaving the former with twin blades and the latter with twin blasters. The five Rangers raced forward, the Skeleton Lightless charging back at them. Nikki, Patrick, and Madilyn immediately met him with five swords to his one, only to be shoved aside. However, Nikki then drew blaster and opened fire with Dirk and Layla, the Skeleton Lightless frantically blocking their blasts.

"Never bring a blaster to a SWORD FIGHT!" the monster roared, deflecting their blasts in such a manner that the Rangers' blasters were knocked from their hands.

"If that's how you want it!" Patrick yelled, flipping in the air and clashing swords with the Lightless'. The Green Ranger went on an impressive offensive, using a number of tricky thrusts and swings to push the monster back, who was remaining on the defensive.

"I see you're the finesse of the team!" the Skeleton Lightless observed as he parried Patrick's blows, the two getting close to the cliff-side.

"Like you wouldn't believe!" Patrick replied, leaping up and spinning his blades like a twister, only to have each slash blocked with ease.

"Yes, I'm sure you have a number of tricks, don't you?!" the monster went on, getting closer to the edge. "Still, if I may give some advice?!"

"What's tha-AH!" Patrick yelped, the Skeleton Lightless blocking his attempt at a cross-slash and then bashing the flat of his long-sword against the Green Ranger's helmet. He then slashed one of his Gaia Sabers out of his left hand, and followed that up with an uppercut that knocked Patrick back and sent his helmet flying off.

"Your 'finesse' only tires you out," the Skeleton Lightless taunted, resting his sword on his shoulder. "All those pointless leaps and flips, they may be good against a group of weaker opponents, but to someone like me, you just leave yourself open to DEATH!"

With that, the monster swung his sword straight down at Patrick, who rolled out of the way, causing the blade to cleave the ground. Thinking this was his chance, Patrick kipped up and leaped at the Skeleton Lightless, only for him to rip the sword out of the earth and slash Patrick hard, sending him sailing over the edge of the cliff.

"PATRICK!" Nikki screamed as the Rangers raced toward the monster. The group slashed and blasted at him hard, causing him to have to parry and dodge to his side. Nikki came to a halt at the edge, looking over the cliff-side for some sign of the Green Ranger. All she saw, though, was the quarry below, dust coming up off it as some rocks had fallen into it. There wasn't a trace of green to be seen anywhere.

"Jowar, have you got him?!" Dirk yelled over the communicator.

"No!" Jowar replied frantically. "I'm searching, but I can't seem to find where he's gone! It looks like he may have tried to stop his descent by digging into the rocks, but-"

"Oh no..." Layla moaned, falling to her knees. "Could he buried under...?!"

"Even our suits can't hold up to..." Dirk started to say, finding himself unable to finish his sentence, no matter how true they all knew it was.

"No!" Madilyn yelled, feeling tears form in her eyes. "No, he can't...He can't be gone!"

The Skeleton Lightless chuckled, picking up the fallen Gaia Saber with the Hippogriff emblem engraved on it. "Well, it seems that's one down. Still, if that fool was the best you could produce..."

Madilyn gripped her Gaia Sabers hard, facing the monster angrily as the others soon followed suit. "...That...That jerk was my best friend..._**AND YOU KILLED HIM!**_"

The four Rangers immediately charged the monster, weapons drawn, with a ferocity they weren't aware they had. The Skeleton Lightless quickly readied his long-sword, swinging it at the Rangers' combined attack. The resulting shockwave was enough to cleave a piece of the cliff clean off, sending it tumbling to the cold, stone quarry below.

* * *

Patrick winced, resting against the stone wall behind him. He'd just barely managed to hook his remaining Gaia Saber into the rocky side of the cliff, slowing his descent enough that he was able to spot the cave opening. Thankfully, he was able to tuck and roll into the cave before a rather large slab of stone he'd accidentally cut free could crush him, but he was in bad shape. His whole body ached, he'd lost his helmet and his primary Gaia Saber, and his communicator was busted from his rather hazardous landing.

_C'mon, Patrick,_ he thought, trying to get back to his feet. _You gotta get up._

"Ugh, what for?" he wondered aloud.

_Duh, to get back in the fight!_ the voice in his head insisted. _Your friends need your help!_

"How can I stop that monster, though?" Patrick asked, his knees wobbling as he got to his feet. "He's way too good a swordsman to take down. My best moves couldn't put a scratch him."

_So don't use them!_ he argued with himself as he used his remaining Gaia Saber to hold himself up.

"Then what does that leave me?!" Pat yelled, just before the sound of the cliff practically tearing itself apart above echoed through the cave. The shaking caused him to fall over with a groan, making him almost want to stay there. However, he looked back to the Gaia Saber, and could hear the wind suddenly blow into the cave, its howl echoing off the walls.

"_When the time comes,_" he heard Jowar's voice echo in the back of his head, "_a solution will present itself._"

"_Your 'finesse' only tires you out,_" the Skeleton Lightless' voice taunted.

"...Tire me out?" Patrick muttered, grabbing hold of his blade. "If you think this is me tired out...you don't know the first thing about me!"

* * *

"**Heat Sabers!**" Nikki yelled, drawing her twin blades and locking up hard with the Skeleton Lightless' long-sword.

"**Quake Ax!**" Dirk roared, swinging for the Skeleton Lightless' head with his ax, only for the monster to throw his feet out from under himself, sending the Red and Orange Rangers' weapons clanging against each other before swiping them both aside.

"**Lightning Daggers!**" Madilyn screamed, leaping at the Skeleton Lightless and stabbing her daggers at his torso, only for them both to be knocked out of her hands and herself to be sent tumbling across the ground.

"**Flood Launcher!**" Layla shouted, opening fire with tidal wave-like blasts. However, the Skeleton Lightless swung his long-sword hard, producing a column of flames that countered the watery blasts in mid-air, cancelling each other out.

"You think you can beat me?!" the Skeleton Lightless demanded. "The little green weakling put up a far better fight than all four of you, and he couldn't-"

"**Storm Lance!**" Madilyn called before the monster could go any further, reaching up and stabbing his rib-cage with the long, green lance. The Lightless roared in pain, dropping his long-sword as black and purple mist poured out of the wound. Despite this, though, he still managed to grab hold of the lance, pull it out, and then haul the Violet Ranger up off the ground with it.

"Just for that, you go next!" the monster threatened, holding up Patrick's Gaia Saber.

"SIS!" Layla screamed, unable to take a shot with her sister held up in front of the skeleton.

"NO!" Nikki cried, fighting to get back to her feet.

Just as the Skeleton Lightless was about to bring the blade down, though, a gust of wind blew past from the cliff, and a loud cry could be heard as a lone figure leaped up into the air. The monster looked up just in time to see Patrick, battered and bruised, come falling down and slash across his skeletal arms, disarming him of the Green Ranger's weapons and causing him to back off.

"_**Patrick!**_" the others all cried happily.

"We're not done yet!" Patrick spat. "Pick up your sword and let's finish this!"

The Skeleton Lightless growled, picking up his long-sword. "So eager to be destroyed!"

Trading Layla's Gaia Saber for his own, Patrick quickly inserted his crystal, causing the blade to glow green. "So eager to save my friends is what I am!"

The two swung for each other, clashing swords hard and tearing up the ground around them. Patrick continued to lay down slashes on the Skeleton Lightless' long-sword, and with each one, the wind started to howl louder in the holes where the monster once had ears.

"Where did THIS power come from?!" the Skeleton Lightless demanded.

"The answer is blowing in the wind, 'Mr. Skullhead'!" Patrick answered, his body beginning to glow with an emerald shimmer.

"This can't be!" the Skeleton Lightless insisted, seeing his long-sword start to show scrapes and cuts along itself. "You shouldn't be able to lift your sword at this point!"

"I've got limitless energy!" Patrick countered, raising his sword as it shined with emerald light. "I'm the Guardian of the Wind, Green Gaia Ranger!"

Bringing the sword down once more, Patrick actually managed to cleave the long-sword in half, as well as slash the Skeleton Lightless hard. The monster stumbled backwards as sparks flew from the green line running from the top of his skull down the centre of his body. Patrick turned away from the Lightless, sheathing his blade as the skeleton fell backwards in a giant explosion.

Relieved it was over, Patrick fell to his knees, panting hard. "Can't stop the wind, Walker."

"Patrick!" Nikki called, the others running up to help him to his feet. "Are you alright?!"

"Dude, you scared the heck outta me back there!" Dirk commented.

"Yeah, well, I totally knew you were just fine," Madilyn lied, clearly trying to keep the ice from breaking. "But, don't EVER do that again!"

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Patrick muttered with a chuckle as Layla passed him his fallen helmet. "Let's get the heck outta here..."

"RANGERS!" the group heard a voice roar, looking a few yards to their right to see Walker standing there, shaking his staff. "You think this is over?!"

"Okay, I've had about enough of this guy!" Layla yelled, pressing a thumb to her buckle. "**Bronzooka!**"

"**_Gaia Blaster!_**" the others called, assembling the rest of their weapons as Layla loaded the Bronzooka with the Focus Crystal, as well as her own. She and Nikki took aim on the Shadowmancer with the team's two massive blasters before the team all roared, "**_FIRE!_**" The two blasters let loose their shots, the Gaia Blaster firing five elemental beams while the Bronzooka launched an water elemental blast in the form of the Leviathan Zord. However, just as the blasts were about to make contact with Walker, they instead passed right through him, blowing a chunk out of the ground behind the Shadowmancer.

"The heck?!" Dirk cursed as the team lowered their weapons. "How'd he do that?!"

"It's not really him!" Layla observed as Walker's image became transparent. "It's some kind of illusion or hologram!"

"Come out of hiding, you coward!" Nikki demanded.

"Oh, trust me, when the time is right, we'll have ourselves a nice little party!" the image of Walker assured the Red Ranger. "Until then, here's a nice little preview of what's to come! Dark Staff of the Wyvern, make my Lightless grow!"

Raising his staff, the transparent illusion of Walker vanished. Following this, a large column of black flames poured down from the sky, drawing the black and purple smog that once was the Skeleton Lightless into it. After a few moments, the monster was reformed, now as a giant that stood in the quarry at the bottom of the cliff. He raised his fist and slammed it down hard into the ground near the Rangers as they rolled out of the way.

"Let's finish this guy off!" Patrick yelled, putting his helmet back on and lifting his saber to the sky. "**We need Gaia Zord power, now!**"

The other Rangers drew their Gaia Sabers, inserting their crystals and holding them up as a rainbow of colours flew off their tips. Within a few seconds, the five main Gaia Zords came racing into the field of battle. The team leaped up to the Zords, teleporting directly into the cockpits and inserting their weapons into their proper slots.

"Kitsune Zord, power up!" Nikki called, inserting the pink crystal in her blaster.

"Turtle Zord, power up!" Layla cried, opening her blaster to place the aquamarine crystal inside. The two Rangers closed the blasters and pulled the triggers, sending twin flashes of light out that summoned the auxiliary Gaia Zords to join the other five.

"Go ahead and try your best, Rangers!" the Skeleton Lightless taunted. "I'll swat you all for breaking my sword!"

"Not this time, you won't!" Patrick shouted, swooping in with the Hippogriff Zord and stomping the hooves on its hind legs into the monster's shoulder-pads before clawing him in the face with its front legs.

"Time to get bulldozed!" Dirk roared, slamming the Behemoth Zord's horns into the Skeleton Lightless as he tried to swat the Hippogriff Zord away, causing him to get knocked to the ground. The monster quickly rolled back to his feet, but found himself getting slammed in the face by the Turtle Zord's shell, making him stumble into the side of the cliff, where the Leviathan Zord froze his arms and legs into place.

"_**FIRE!**_" Nikki and Madilyn yelled, the Phoenix, Thunderbird, and Kitsune Zords unleashing blasts of fire and lightning on the monster.

"**ENOUGH!**" the Skeleton Lightless shouted, breaking free of the ice retrains before opening his jaws wide. A gigantic column of dark flames shot out from his skull as the Gaia Zords rushed him, enveloping them all. However, just as it looked like they were all burnt to cinders, the Turtle Zord came spinning in, surrounded by a whirlpool filled with both water and ice. It blew straight through the flames and slammed into the monster, carrying it up out of the quarry and sending it crashing into the burnt fields, where the Gaia Megazord was waiting.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Kitsune Bow!**_" the Rangers called as the Kitsune Zord folded into a longbow and was grabbed in the Megazord's left hand, the right hand producing a white hot arrow of fire. "_**Final Flare!**_"

The Megazord released the arrow, sending it sailing straight through the Skeleton Lightless as he got back to its feet. He let out one final groan as he fell backward again, his body exploding into black mist that briefly formed the shape of a skull before evaporating into the sky.

Patrick groaned, sitting back in his seat. "...Okay. Madilyn, you can say you told me so."

Madilyn opened her mouth, about to say it, but shrugged. "Nah, I'll wait until some other time."

Patrick rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's go home."

* * *

Darkea sighed, sitting in her chair with her chin resting on her fist. "...Well, THAT didn't go so well."

Walker growled, pacing back and forth. "Tch. Clearly, attempts at reproducing the accident that created Sphantis have had less than stellar results."

"Gosh, you don't say?" Darkea asked sarcastically. "And hey, where the heck IS Sphantis, anyway?"

"Out finding your new sword," Walker replied.

Darkea's face brightened slightly. "For realsies? Awesome...But, where exactly?"

"Legend tells of a sword of great and terrible power, wielded by the Guardian of Darkness during the old wars," Walker explained. "It was left behind in one of the darkest regions of Gaia, waiting for the day that its chosen wielder would return, but the day never came."

"So, there's an all-powerful sword of darkness just lying around somewhere?" Darkea inquired. "Why didn't we ever go looking for it?"

Walker narrowed his eyes. "Because I didn't want to get HIS attention by poking around in what is practically HIS backyard. A lone monster wandering around the dark zones is far less conspicuous than two Shadowmancers."

Darkea groaned, rolling her eyes. "Whatever. Just so long as I get my sword and-"

Suddenly, the main door leading to the chamber was flung open, Sphantis stumbling in and shutting it behind him. "Master Walker! Sword gone!"

"What do you mean, it's gone?" Walker demanded.

"Sword gone!" Sphantis repeated. "Hole in ground, but sword gone!"

"But the only ones who could enter that region are Blots, and they can't-" Walker started to say before realization hit him. "...No! Sphantis, I need you to go out again!"

"Find another sword?" Sphantis guessed.

"NO!" Walker yelled. "No, I need you to find as many of the Blots you turned to Venom Blots for me, and bring them to Everbright, the forest I showed you!"

Sphantis nodded. "Everbright, forest!"

"I thought you said we were waiting to attack the Ancient Library?" Darkea asked, utterly confused.

Walker shook his head, looking gravely into his sister's eyes. "We can't afford to wait now. Someone's pulled the sword free, and there's only a handful of individuals capable of that. But it wasn't one of us, and we'd know if it was HIM or the Rangers, so that only leaves one other person."

Darkea scowled, getting the idea. "The last one's finally making their move."

"Meaning we have to annihilate the Rangers NOW, before they have the chance to potentially join forces!" Walker went on. "Have every Blot under our sway prepare to march on Everbright, while the two of us ready a pair of monsters to help lead the charge! We march as soon as everything is set in place!"

* * *

Jowar smiled as the team exited their bedroom, looking well rested. "Good morning! Everyone feeling better?"

"MUCH," Patrick replied, rubbing his neck. "But I still don't know how I was able to tap into that power yesterday, or even where it all came from."

"Yeah, that was some crazy strength you were showing off," Dirk commented.

"Your powers are derived from the crystals, and they in turn gain their power from the raw, natural elements of Gaia," Jowar explained. "Up until now, you've only been getting a small taste of the kind of power you can pull from the crystals. Last night, you managed to tap into a far greater portion of it."

"You're saying we can all do that?" Layla asked, getting a nod. "Wow, I never thought we still had so much left in the tank that we weren't even close to touching."

The group nodded, and from that point, Jowar drifted out of the conversation. It was true, they ALL had far more power that they hadn't been accessing up until now, some more-so than others. The old wizard put his hand in his pocket, taking hold of the crystal inside as it began to heat up in the palm of his hand.

"...Jowar?"

Jowar blinked, looking ahead at Nikki. "W-What?"

"You alright?" Nikki asked. "You seem...distracted."

Jowar sighed, clutching the crystal tightly. "...Rangers, there's something you should know about-"

Suddenly, before Jowar could go on, the alarm went out, the torches around the main chamber burning brighter than any of them had ever seen. The group all assembled before the Viewing Globe as it zoomed in on the location under attack, revealing...

"...Wait, isn't that Everbright?" Madilyn asked. "The forest outside the Ancient Library?"

Almost like in response, the globe zoomed out to show an army of hundreds, perhaps hundreds of hundreds, of Blots forming on the edge of the forest. Along with them were small groups of Venom Blots, two Lightless, Sphantis, Darkea, and at the head of them all, Walker. No one asked any further questions, knowing exactly what was happening, and what was about to go down.

"They know we're here," Nikki stated.

"No...!" Dirk gasped. "The Doppelganger Lightless! It musta told them where to find us! But why wait until now?!"

"The Venom Blots," Jowar surmised. "Even with the numbers they have at their disposal, overtaking the Ancient Library with all of us here to defend it is near impossible, so Walker found a way to bolster the strength of their forces."

"Enough to take us all down?" Madilyn asked, just as Walker gave the order for the Blots to begin swarming the forest, headed directly for the location of the Ancient Library.

"We're about to find out," Nikki muttered gravely, drawing her Crystal Blast Morpher. "Guys? Prepare for war."

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ ...Y'know what? Not even gonna waste yer time with Author's Notes. lol

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, the team is forced to fend off an all-out invasion force from Walker and Darkea, but as the action heats up, a revelation is made about Jowar that changes the entire nature of their conflict! Ja né!


	10. Revelations of Light and Darkness Part 1

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

"...Jowar?"

Jowar blinked, breaking out of his train of thought and looking ahead at Nikki. "W-What?"

"You alright?" Nikki asked. "You seem...distracted."

Jowar sighed, clutching the crystal in his pocket tightly. "...Rangers, there's something you should know about-"

Suddenly, before Jowar could go on, the alarm went out, the torches around the main chamber burning brighter than any of them had ever seen. The group all assembled before the Viewing Globe as it zoomed in on the location under attack, revealing...

"...Wait, isn't that Everbright?" Madilyn asked. "The forest outside the Ancient Library?"

Almost like in response, the globe zoomed out to show an army of hundreds, perhaps hundreds of hundreds, of Blots forming on the edge of the forest. Along with them were small groups of Venom Blots, two Lightless, Sphantis, Darkea, and at the head of them all, Walker. No one asked any further questions, knowing exactly what was happening, and what was about to go down.

"They know we're here," Nikki stated.

"No...!" Dirk gasped. "The Doppelganger Lightless! It musta told them where to find us! But why wait until now?!"

"The Venom Blots," Jowar surmised. "Even with the numbers they have at their disposal, overtaking the Ancient Library with all of us here to defend it is near impossible, so Walker found a way to bolster the strength of their forces."

_Blast it all, Walker,_ Jowar thought, tuning out the others and looking gravely at the Shadowmancer on the Viewing Globe as he gave the order for the Blots to attack. _Why did you have to find me? When is it going to be enough for you? When we're both destroyed and left as ashes on Gaia's burnt and blackened crust? Is that really our fate?_

Jowar felt his hand warm up from the crystal currently clutched in his pocket. _I have no further excuses. They're here now, and I have to stop them...but can I really use this? Can I do this to Walker?_

"Guys?" Nikki muttered as she drew her Crystal Blast Morpher. "Prepare for war. Jowar, we need everything you can give us...Jowar!"

Jowar shook his head hard, snapping out of it and releasing the crystal. "Right. Against these numbers, you'll need every advantage you can get."

"Should we call the Gaia Megazord?" Dirk suggested as the rest of the Rangers drew their blasters.

"It's too big and slow to handle that many Blots, but you'll want to be ready to call it if things get too hairy," Jowar advised. "In the meantime, I'll prepare the library defenses."

Madilyn blinked in surprise. "...The Ancient Library has a defense system?"

"The Magna Buster," Layla explained. "Jowar showed me how it works. Basically, it's a beam of light that's fired from the roof and will damage anything powered by darkness. It won't take them all out, but it'll make our job easier."

Jowar nodded. "In addition, I have some crystals I've been saving for emergencies. I think you'll find them quite helpful."

"Okay then," Nikki said, pulling her crystal. "Let's get out there and take it to them!"

* * *

Walker allowed the masses of Blots to run in ahead of him into Everbright. After all, he suspected the Rangers would put up a hard defense, as would Jowar, and he needed plenty of his soldiers to act as fodder to wear the enemy down. Still, he couldn't help but stay relatively close to the front lines, wanting ever-so-badly to do battle with Jowar personally. It had been many a year since he'd last seen the wizard, and he was looking forward to testing his dark powers against him.

"You look like a little boy going to his first day of school," Darkea noted, keeping close to her brother while looking over her new temporary weapon: a long, black sickle with crimson markings.

Walker smirked. "Oh, someone's going to school today, that's for sure."

Sphantis chuckled, sharpening his scythe-blades on each other. "Destroy the Rangers! Destroy ALL the Rangers!"

"Yes, Sphantis," Walker replied. "Still, save SOME of your energy. You're going to need it for all of the obligatory destruction and looting to be had."

Just as Walker finished saying this, however, the ground began to shake. Several of the ordinary Blots began to trip and stumble a bit, while the Venom Blots stood their ground, as did the Werewolf and Black Dog Lightless accompanying them. After a few moments of shaking, the ground was suddenly torn open, a series of roots springing up and slamming through the ranks of Blots.

"Surprise!" the Orange Ranger roared, riding on the largest root.

"Attack!" Darkea ordered, the Blots gathering up to claw at the giant root. Just as they did, Dirk leaped off, loading his blaster with an umber crystal, firing shots into the ground. Within seconds, roots of the same colour sprung up out of the ground and ensnared the foot soldiers.

"Like my new Root Crystal?" Dirk asked as he landed in a tree. "I mean, I can see your Blots are getting pretty attached to them, but-"

Before Dirk could continue, Walker lifted his staff, releasing a black fireball from the wyvern head's jaws. It smacked into the Orange Ranger hard, knocking him from the tree and causing him to plummet to the ground below. Sphantis immediately leaped over and slammed both scythes down at him, but soon found them going straight through the Ranger, his form becoming transparent before fading away.

"An illusion?!" Walker demanded.

"That can use our crystals," the Shadowmancer heard the Red Ranger say, spinning around to find himself face to face with her, while another half a dozen Red Gaia Rangers fought off Blots nearby. "Not so fun when the enemy uses the same tricks as you, is it?"

"Clever," Walker growled, blasting the Red Rangers hard, only to reveal that none of them were real. "Burn this whole forest down if you have to, but I want the REAL Gaia Rangers found and destroyed!"

* * *

Madilyn snickered as she and the other Rangers watched the enemy forces on the Viewing Globe fan out throughout the forest. "Oh man, this is too rich. We might just beat them without ever leaving the library."

"It's not gonna take them long to figure out we're not really out there," Nikki pointed out before holding up her communicator. "Jowar, how long until the Magna Buster is ready to fire?"

"Should only be a couple more minutes!" Jowar replied. "But it looks as though several Blots are coming closer to the library, and I can only blast foes that are OUTSIDE!"

"Our copies will only work if we keep the Illusion Crystals loaded in our blasters, so we'll have to make due without them if we get into the mix," Layla reminded everyone.

"Not to worry," Dirk said proudly. "I set up a few defenses of my own. They won't be getting in anytime soon."

Before anyone could ask, the globe showed the image of a small squad of about a dozen Blots finally making it to the library gates. Just as one threw the door open, though, it was hit in the eye with a large tin can on a rope, vaporizing the Blot instantly. The other Rangers just looked to Dirk with faces ranging from dumbfounded to downright embarrassed for him.

"...Seriously?" Patrick asked in a completely deadpan voice.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Dirk insisted.

"Yeah, on ONE BLOT," Pat argued. "Congrats, 'Kevin', I'm sure the enemy is impressed with your advanced trap-setting skills."

"Dirk, Layla, you're with me covering the main entrance!" Nikki ordered. "Madilyn, you and Patrick cover the back entrance!"

Patrick huffed, running off with Madilyn to the back entrance as Nikki and the others made their way to the front. Once there, the Red, Blue, and Orange Rangers found themselves face-to-face with a squad of Blots, having to fight them off in close quarters. Dirk proceeded to shove as many as he could straight out the back door with the blunt end of his ax, while Nikki and Layla picked off the rest behind with their Gaia Sabers, leaving only six out front now.

"**Heat Bow!**" Nikki called, bringing out her bow and arrow. Aiming her shot, she released an arrow into one Blot, blowing up the two on either side of it along with it.

"**Flood Launcher!**" Layla cried, summoning her cannon and blowing down the remaining three Blots with ease. "And stay out!"

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Patrick was dual wielding his and Madilyn's Gaia Sabers, chopping down Blots as they came, while Madilyn used her Lightning Daggers. Despite quickly taking down a dozen, they noticed another group on their way, this one accompanied by Venom Blots.

"Okay, that's enough!" Madilyn yelled, tossing down her daggers and hitting her buckle with her thumb. "**Bronzooka!**"

Calling out the large bazooka, Madilyn opened the compartment, loading it with her own Thunderbird Crystal, along with the Focus Crystal. Once the panel was shut again, a targeting reticle slid out, allowing her to lock onto the Venom Blot. With a roar of "**Bronzooka, FIRE!**", the Violet Ranger pulled the trigger, sending an effigy of her Thunderbird Zord to launch out of the bazooka and blast into the Venom Blot, destroying it utterly and taking several ordinary Blots with it, the rest getting knocked into the trees.

"Think there's any chance-" Madilyn started to ask.

"Nope," Patrick cut her off, spotting more Blots on the way. "And even with our copies out there, it's not gonna take 'em long to figure out where most of the big fireworks are coming from."

"Let's hope Jowar can get that Magna Buster up and running soon, then," Madilyn muttered.

* * *

Jowar groaned, keeping the unicorn horn on his staff held against the large, crystalline chamber that housed his yellow crystal. His eyes were shut as he tried to channel as much power as he could through it, up into the roof of the Ancient Library, where the Magna Buster lay hidden. Unfortunately, the old wizard was a bit out of practice, and he hadn't had to use this level of focus for many years. Still, he did his best to clear his mind, focusing on the task at hand, until finally, the crystal sent a golden bolt of energy up through the chamber to the roof, followed by a silver bolt that was shot from Jowar's staff.

Jowar let out a sigh of relief as a control panel came up from the floor in the room he was standing in, a panel opening to allow his staff to be placed inside. Meanwhile, a section of the roof opened to reveal a long stone tower with a giant gold and silver crystal at the top of it. Taking hold of the controls, the crystal suddenly began to rotate atop the tower, the top point aiming down at a large horde of Blots.

"**Magna Buster, FIRE!**" Jowar yelled, unleashing a massive blast of light on the Blots, incinerating a couple dozen of them immediately while leaving the forest around them completely unharmed. With a grin, the old wizard redirected the crystal, taking aim on another group of enemies.

* * *

Walker growled, clutching his staff so hard that Darkea thought it would snap in half. Everywhere he looked, there were Gaia Rangers fighting Blots, and no way to be 100% certain where the real ones were. Worse, now they were under fire from some gigantic light cannon that was vaporizing his army.

"We shouldn't have started this attack so soon!" Darkea observed. "We should pull back for now!"

"NO!" Walker roared. "Send the Lightless to attack the Library directly! It'll draw the real Rangers out of hiding, and give us a chance to destroy that thing!"

Darkea hesitated for a moment, but quickly gave the signal for the two canine Lightless to head straight for the Ancient Library. "This better work, brother. If we come up on the wrong side of this engagement, you-know-who might decide to pay us a visit."

Walker's eyes narrowed. "Believe me, I'm all too aware of THAT..."

* * *

"Holy cow, I have GOT to get me one of those!" Layla exclaimed, watching the Magna Buster lay down fire.

"Eyes forward, Layla!" Nikki ordered. "We've got company!"

Looking ahead, the two girls and Dirk watched as a pair of Lightless, a Werewolf and a Black Dog, marched toward the library. The three charged them with their weapons, only for the Black Dog Lightless to wave its arms, sending out a blast of black lightning that shocked and stunned the trio. The Werewolf Lightless then charged through, faster than the three Rangers could react to, and slashed them with its claws, sending them tumbling across the ground.

"Try this on for size!" Dirk yelled, getting to his feet and swinging his Quake Ax at the Black Dog Lightless. However, to his surprise, the monster phased right through his ax, appearing behind the Orange Ranger and blasting him back down with a black bolt of lighting.

"Dirk!" Nikki cried, pulling herself back up, only for the Werewolf Lightless to get in her way. Taking her Heat Bow apart, she slashed at the monster with the separated Heat Sabers, only for the Werewolf to block them with its claws. As it did, though, Layla sprung up and stabbed both her and Nikki's Gaia Sabers forward, catching the monster in the side. The two Rangers then swung all four of their blades, but were shocked as the Lightless caught two in each claw, letting loose a howl that knocked the Red and Blue Rangers at least a couple of yards away.

"This isn't going so well," Layla groaned, pulling herself back to her feet.

"Really?" Nikki asked, using her Heat Sabers to prop herself back up. "Is that your expert opinion?"

"We better come up with a plan quick," Dirk muttered as he limped over, "or we're gonna be dead meat."

The two canine Lightless charged at the three Rangers as they braced themselves for another go. Fortunately for them, it never came, as Madilyn and Patrick came leaping in with their weapons, the Violet Ranger able to send the Werewolf on its behind with a quick jab of her Lightning Daggers, while the Green Ranger knocked the Black Dog down with a gust by spinning his Storm Lance.

"Good timing!" Nikki commented as the team formed up.

"Our copies have the back entrance covered!" Madilyn noted. "And it looked like you needed some help with these two!"

"Should we try the Bronzooka?" Dirk asked as the monsters got back to their feet.

Patrick shook his head. "Already used it, needs time to recharge. We've gotta go full blown on these guys."

"How do we do that?" Layla inquired.

"Jowar said we were just scraping at the kind of power available to us," Patrick explained, balling a fist. "And trust me, tapping into more of mine made a HUGE difference yesterday."

Nikki nodded, closing her eyes. "We just need to focus. Try to find the power."

The rest followed suit, closing their eyes and concentrating. As the two Lightless ran in to attack again, the Rangers began to feel it: Nikki's body began to heat up like burning hot magma as she heard the Phoenix Zord's caw; Patrick felt energy coming off pure air as the sound of the Hippogriff Zord's wings flapping filled his ears; Layla could feel the coolness of ice and hear the splashing of waves, all accompanied by the underwater howling of the Leviathan Zord; Dirk was overwhelmed by the sensation like his very self was being strengthened by the earth around them, and could practically feel the Behemoth Zord's stomping; Madilyn felt as though her body was being filled with 4 million volts as the Thunderbird Zord's screech echoed in her mind.

Just as the Black Dog and Werewolf Lightless were about to strike, the team opened their eyes and let out a loud battle cry, their bodies surrounded by the raw energy of their elements. The sheer force of this knocked the monsters back as the Rangers took a step forward, feeling their powers increased to a new level.

"Guardian of Fire!" Nikki shouted as a red explosion of light erupted behind her. "Red Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Wind!" Patrick yelled as an explosion of green light reached for the sky behind him. "Green Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Water!" Layla cried as an explosion of blue light shot up like a geyser behind her. "Blue Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Earth!" Dirk roared as orange light exploded off the ground behind him. "Orange Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Lightning!" Madilyn called as an explosion of violet light thundered behind her. "Violet Gaia Ranger!"

The five Rangers struck a group pose as a giant silver and gold flash of light came up all around them. "_**Power Rangers, Guardians of Gaia!**_"

The two Lightless howled, the Werewolf rushing the team. However, Dirk caught its claw with ease, shoving it back as Nikki delivered a jumping roundhouse to its head that felt like a fireball to the temple. The two then elbowed it in the gut, followed by a pair of fists to the face that sent it flying into a tree. In response, the Black Dog Lightless fired a blast of black voltage at the Rangers, but Madilyn intercepted, crossing her arms in front of herself as she drew the bolt to herself. As she did, Layla rushed the monster, sweeping its legs out from under it, while Patrick ran in with an uppercut to the face, sending it flipping head over heels.

The two monsters got back to their feet, backing up slowly from the Rangers as they formed back up. Instead, a small horde of about a hundred or more Blots arrived, forming out of the shadows of the trees. Nikki cracked her knuckles, rushing in to fight. She quickly punched one so hard that it was sent sailing backward into ten more, leaving them in a heap as the Red Ranger spun around, kicking anything that moved. Finally, she pulled her Gaia Saber out, inserting the Phoenix Crystal inside and letting loose a burning spin-slash that incinerated at least a dozen Blots.

Layla came leaping in, kneeing a Blot in the face and sending it tumbling into two more before it evaporated. Spinning around, she kicked another down before sweeping her leg across so many feet, leveling the enemies around her. She then sent a foot straight at a Blot's chest, letting it catch her before back-heel kicking it with the other foot into another pair of Blots. Rolling back to her feet, the Blue Ranger drew her Gaia Saber and inserted the Leviathan Crystal into the hilt, swinging the blade hard and sending a wave of energy that took out every Blot before her.

Patrick jumped up, Storm Lance in hand, and wrapped his feet around a Blot's head, swinging it into the group behind it. As a pair of Blots charged him from either side, he tossed his lance up, letting them catch it as he swung on it like a horizontal pole, split-kicking the two away before landing on his feet. He then twirled the lance around like a baton, calling up a harsh gust that knocked several Blots up off the ground and into the air. Stabbing the lance down, the Green Ranger pulled out his Gaia Saber, inserting the Hippogriff Crystal, and leaped into the air, slashing every last airborne Blot and destroying them utterly before they could hit the ground.

* * *

Walker's eyes widened as he felt a spike of energy come from the library. A cold chill ran down his spine, and sweat began to roll down his forehead, which didn't go unnoticed by Darkea, who looked at him with great concern.

"...Walker?" she asked. "You alright?"

"It's the Rangers," Walker said gravely. "They're tapping into the true depths of their powers."

Darkea gulped. "And on a scale of 1 to 10 of how bad that is-"

"We need that Magna Buster down NOW!" Walker yelled, grabbing his sister by the shoulder-pads on her armour, "or they'll pick apart every last one of our Blots!"

* * *

Madilyn dive-kicked a Blot in the chest hard, sending it crashing to the ground before springing back up and split-kicking two more. Landing on her feet, she then grabbed two more, wrapping an arm behind each of their necks, and then spun herself around on them, kicking anything that came close. The Violet Ranger then planted her feet down, flipping the two Blots over her shoulders, before drawing her Gaia Saber and placing the Thunderbird Crystal inside, letting loose a high-voltage slash that fried the Blots around her.

Dirk roared as he shoulder-tackled a Blot, then proceeded to pick it back up, shove it into a group of ten more, and then throw a foot into its chest, knocking the whole group down. He then threw an uppercut at another running towards him, grabbing it by the legs and slamming it down so hard it shook the ground. Pulling out his Gaia Saber, the Orange Ranger inserted the Root Crystal, stabbing the blade straight down into the ground and sending a series of roots up that crushed the remaining Blots around the team, leaving only the two Lightless.

"Let's finish 'em off!" Nikki yelled, getting nods from the rest of the team as they readied their Gaia Sabers, each glowing brilliantly as they charged the two canine Lightless. Despite a blast of black electricity from the Black Dog Lightless, the five continued to ram straight through like they didn't feel a thing.

"**_Quintuple-mental Slash!_**" the Rangers yelled, swiping their blades across the monsters. At the last moment, the Black Dog Lightless turned intangible, letting the swords pass right through it as they instead cut down the Werewolf Lightless, destroying it. The monster turned, ready to blast the unsuspecting Rangers again, only to find itself facing down the five barrels of their combined weapons.

"Too slow!" Layla shouted, pulling the trigger and sending the Black Dog Lightless sailing into the sky from the combined assault of their elements, exploding in mid-air. Once it was gone, the five nearly fell to the ground, just barely catching themselves on their knees as fatigue set in hard.

"Ugh, that was ROUGH," Madilyn moaned.

"I feel like I've been dragging enough stacks of hay to fill a barn, WITH THE BARN!" Dirk exclaimed, feeling his muscles stiffen.

"Looks like there's a limit to how much power we can use at once," Layla observed, setting the Gaia Blaster down.

"Yeah, I figured this time might be easier, but I think I overdid it again," Patrick replied.

"Looks like," Nikki noted with a nod. "Good news is, we cut down a huge part of Walker's Blot army and destroyed both of his monsters."

Suddenly, as if she'd jinxed it or something, a black flame flew up out of the trees, funneling into the pair of black clouds that were once the Lightless. They began to expand and reshape, until finally, they stood as giant versions of the Werewolf and Black Dog Lightless, towering over the Ancient Library.

"...Bad news is, they just got put on steroids!" Madilyn added.

"We've gotta call the Zords," Nikki said, getting to her feet and raising up her Gaia Saber, only for Layla to stop her.

"Wait!" Layla cried. "We need the Crystal Blast Morphers to help operate the Zords! That means powering down our copies!"

Nikki's eyes widened, looking down at her blaster as it still hummed with energy, keeping their copies intact around the forest. Meanwhile, up above them, the Magna Buster opened fire on the two monsters, knocking them back a bit, only for the Black Dog Lightless to return fire, sending electricity crackling across the gold and silver crystal. If they didn't do something, they were going to lose the library's best means of defense. However, it was only because their copies were keeping the enemy's attention divided that they were able to hold up as well as they had been.

"...It's your call," Layla said, realizing the dilemma.

Nikki nodded, clenching her saber tightly. "...Right. We HAVE to risk calling the Zords, or we could lose the library."

The others nodded in understanding, the team raising their blades to the air and calling out "**_We need Gaia Zord power, now!_**" Within a few moments, the Gaia Zords made their way to the forest. The Rangers all teleported into the Zord cockpits, inserting their weapons as their copies began to vanish across the woods.

"_**Gaia Zords, combine!**_" the team shouted, swapping out the Zords' crystals for the Unity Crystals. The five Zords leaped into the air, shifting their bodies around before uniting as one giant robot, the team's cockpits sliding back to come together in the robot's head. "_**Gaia Megazord, power up!**_"

"Jowar, try to keep the Black Dog Lightless off our tail, and we'll take the Werewolf!" Nikki called over the communicator. The Megazord ran forward to meet the Werewolf Lightless, blocking its claw-swipes with a pair of punches, while the Magna Buster took aim and fired on the Black Dog Lightless. Unfortunately, the Werewolf was quick to speed things up, slashing its claws at super-speed.

"I think we're gonna need more protection!" Patrick suggested.

"Turtle Zord, power up!" Layla yelled, placing the Turtle Crystal into her blaster and pulling the trigger. A flash of aquamarine light later, and the Turtle Zord was rolling in its shell like a high-speed wheel to the field of battle. It sprung up off the ground, looking to ram the Black Dog Lightless, only for it to go intangible, phasing through the Zord as it instead slammed into the Werewolf Lightless' skull. As the Turtle Zord bounced toward the Megazord, a grip unfolded from the bottom of its shell, allowing the robot to grab hold of it.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Turtle Shield!**_" the Rangers called. The Werewolf charged in to slash again, but even its blurry slashes couldn't get past the shield. However, the Black Dog Lightless was able to get a blast of lightning in from behind, sending the Gaia Megazord tumbling to the ground.

"Dangit, we gotta do something to put these dogs down!" Madilyn yelled.

"Rangers, try getting the monsters between yourselves and the Magna Buster!" Jowar advised.

"How's that gonna help?" Dirk asked.

"Of course!" Layla exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "When Jowar fires the buster, Black Dog will phase through it and it'll hit the shield, letting us knock the light right back at 'em!"

"Will that really work?!" Nikki asked as the Megazord got back to its feet.

"In theory, but you'll need to use the Focus Crystal if there's even to be a hope of keeping it together," Jowar noted.

"Got it," Dirk said, loading the crystal as the Megazord got into position, the Turtle Shield glowing with a bronze light. "Let 'er rip!"

"**Magna Buster, full power!**" Jowar yelled, unleashing a massive blast of light at the Black Dog Lightless. As planned, it phased through the blast, which collided with the Turtle Shield. The Megazord began to glow with bronze, silver, and golden light, absorbing the blast into itself.

"Power levels are going crazy!" Layla cried. "We gotta hit 'em now, before we blow ourselves up!"

"Right!" Nikki shouted, the light forming the outline of a sword of some sort in the Gaia Megazord's right hand. Swinging it hard, the light was slashed straight through both monsters hard, causing them to explode. The resulting shockwave sent the Megazord toppling over, disassembling into its smaller Gaia Zords and teleporting them away as the Rangers fell to the ground before the library main doors.

"What happened?!" Patrick demanded.

"The combined power was too much for the Gaia Zords," Layla moaned as the team got back to their feet. "We just barely avoided an explosion ourselves."

"Well that seemed insanely risky," Dirk noted.

"Oh, it could be worse..." Nikki muttered, staring straight ahead. There, organized on the edge of the forest before them, were Walker, Darkea, Sphantis, and what had to be around a thousand Blots and Venom Blots by Layla's count. The Rangers quickly drew their blasters, but they were shot almost immediately out of their hands as the Blots opened fire with claw shots, mercilessly barraging the team until they demorphed. The five fell to the ground, save for Nikki, who managed to catch herself with her Gaia Saber.

"Tch," Walker clicked, walking toward the demorphed Red Ranger. "You truly ARE spirited, aren't you? Fought to exhaustion, demorphed, not a Zord to speak of, and still trying to stay in the fight."

Nikki groaned, fighting to stay up as Walker approached her, holding her chin up with his staff. "It's not too late, you know. I can spare all five of you, even help you find a way home. All you have to do is surrender...KNEEL before me..."

Nikki didn't say anything, spitting in the Shadowmancer's face defiantly. Walker scowled, hitting her in the gut with the staff before raising it to strike her again. Before he could, through, the others got back to their feet, Dirk and Madilyn blocking his staff while Patrick and Layla kicked him in the stomach, sending him stumbling back a few paces as the team formed up again. With everything they had, all five leaped up and dive-kicked Walker in the chest, knocking him off his feet, but he quickly rolled back onto them, firing a blast of dark flames that blew up on the ground before them. The five were send tumbling across the ground, Patrick clutching his face and crying out in pain.

"On second thought, I think I'd rather just destroy you now!" Walker growled, Darkea and Sphantis joining him as they prepared to attack again.

"That's ENOUGH, Walker!" a loud voice boomed before a ray of light shot down from the top of the Ancient Library, burning a line in the ground before Jowar materialized on the opposite side of it, slamming his staff down. "You shall not pass!"

"Out of the way, old man!" Darkea yelled, swinging her sickle while Sphantis charged with his scythe blades, only for them to run smack into an invisible wall of light, falling back to the ground.

Walker scoffed. "Heh...A force field. You think that'll keep us out?"

"I will not allow you to harm the Guardians of Gaia, Walker," Jowar replied as the Rangers started to stir. "Please, end this now, before anyone else has to be hurt."

"Still trying to protect so many," Walker said with a grin. "And yet, with such little power, compared to what you used to have."

"I have more than enough power to hold you and your pathetic army at bay," Jowar shot back.

"Oh sure, you've found a way to tap into the light element to conjure up this...amusing delay," Walker noted. "Still, compared to what power you had before, you could've destroyed me, my sister, and most of my army on your own...not that you WOULD, anyway, even with me threatening to obliterate your little team of heroes."

"Don't push me, Walker!" Jowar replied, eyes narrowed. "I don't want to hurt you, but don't put me to the test!"

Nikki's eyes widened in surprise as she heard all of this. _Wait, what? What are they talking about? What's this about him not wanting to fight Walker?_

"I once told Darkea not to underestimate you, but clearly, looking at you now, I can tell you're just an old fool, ready to be annihilated!" Walker exclaimed, raising his staff as a dark flame began to charge in the jaws of the wyvern head at the end. "And I'm just the one to finish you off!"

Nikki gasped. She wasn't sure whether or not the force field would keep out a blast like that, but she was not about ready to test that theory. Spotting her blaster, she managed to throw herself at it, firing a pink blast from the Kitsune Crystal inside at Walker's staff and throwing his aim off, sending the blast skyward and just grazing the roof of the library.

"Everyone inside, now!" Nikki yelled, the team managing to scramble back inside the library, Jowar entering last as he shut the doors. He then erected a second force field around it, sighing as he felt himself drain slightly. He then followed the team to the main chamber, Dirk helping Patrick as the latter still kept his hand firmly planted over his eyes.

"Jowar, what the heck happened back there?!" Nikki demanded, getting in the wizard's face. "What was Walker talking about?! Why didn't you try to fight back?!"

The wizard said nothing at first, turning away in shame. He looked to the Viewing Globe, zoomed in on Walker's face, and at that point, the Rangers, save for Patrick, saw something they hadn't seen out of Jowar: A single tear forming in the corner of his eye.

"I told myself I could do it if necessary," Jowar whispered. "That if it came down to him or me, or worse, him or all of you, I could finally put an end to this. I was so wrong. I couldn't even lift a finger to him."

"Jowar?" Nikki asked, now honestly concerned.

Jowar rubbed his tear away on his sleeve, looking down at his hand as he did so. Sure enough, it had been holding the yellow crystal, and now it was on display for the others to see. Realizing there was no point holding it in anymore, and knowing that the Rangers not only deserved to know the truth, but would hound him until they got it, he took in a deep breath before turning to face them.

"...I can't fight Walker," Jowar explained finally. "...He's my son."

* * *

**_AUTHOR NOTES:_** _**PLLOOOOOOT TWWIIIIIISSSST!**_ XD

Okay, where to I begin? First off, I'd actually been planning to have this be the point where I do the reveal of Jowar and Walker's relation for a while now. It just seemed like the best way to create drama for Jowar, as well as give lead-up to what's coming next. Also, before anyone asks, short explanation for where this leaves Darkea is that she and Walker ARE brother and sister, they have the same mother, just different fathers. If you want the full story, gonna have to read the next chapter.

Also, I REALLY hate to bore you with details, but I feel like explaining the Black Dog Lightless. It's based off a ghost of sorts found in British folklore, and is usually associated with thunderstorms and the devil. You can learn more about it and a lot of the creatures I based the other Lightless (and the Zords, for that matter) on Wikipedia.

Anyway, that's enough notes for now. Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, Jowar tells the team the whole, heartbreaking story about his past, the yellow crystal, and the origins of Walker. As both sides rally up after the last showdown, though, Walker summons his most powerful monster yet, and there's only one Gaia Ranger in the world that can stop it! Ja né!


	11. Revelations of Light and Darkness Part 2

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

For what felt like five minutes, no one in the main chamber of the Ancient Library said anything. Everyone just had hung jaws, letting what Jowar said sink in and trying to process it all. However, as is often the case in such situations, there existed one person in this group of friends who managed to break the ice...by saying the single most random set of words one could say.

"...So, I'm guessing he doesn't exactly get his looks from YOUR side of the family?" Madilyn guessed.

"Okay, someone please tell me if she's grown a second head or not," Patrick said as he finished wrapping bandages around his eyes.

"Your SON?!" Nikki demanded. "How could you NOT tell us Walker was your son?! No no, better question: Why is your son a Shadowmancer?!"

"Also, where the heck does that leave Darkea?" Layla asked, utterly confused.

Jowar sighed, sitting down at the table. "I know you have a lot of questions...that I should've answered a long time ago."

"Ya think?!" Nikki cried.

"Guys, chillax," Dirk said, sitting down next to the old wizard. "This was probably a really touchy subject. Family usually is, especially when it comes to the stuff we're not too proud or happy about."

Madilyn sighed, rubbing her arm. "I-I guess that's true. Still, I think it's about time we got the whole story."

Jowar nodded. "I agree. It all started 30 years ago, when I was helping to escort a group of escapees from a dark zone after a horrid battle. Without Guardians of Gaia, every mission by the roaming knights and warriors to protect the people was a dire battle with small chance of success. That's where I came in. On Gaia, wizards have long since been considered protectors of peace and guides for those seeking to do right. If I had to put it to a term humans from Earth would understand, I believe we would best be classified as being like angels."

"Like angels?" Nikki asked as the rest of the team took seats around the table.

"However, for all our power, without the Guardians, there was only so much we could do," Jowar continued. "Before long into my mission to protect Gaia, I found myself as the last wizard, my comrades having all been destroyed in battle against the forces of a dark and terrible man: Dradarius, usurper of the Dark Throne, and instigator of the war thousands of years ago."

"He's been alive all these millenia?" Layla inquired, getting a nod.

"So, sounds like HE'S the real source of all our troubles," Patrick noted.

"In more ways than you know, Patrick," Jowar replied. "But in any case, I'm getting ahead of myself. As I said, I was assisting a group of travelling warriors in escorting a group of escapees from one of the dark zones of Gaia. Among them, I met her: Annabella, the most beautiful thing I'd ever set eyes upon, and likely ever will in my entire life."

Nikki sighed, getting the idea already. "...Walker's mother?"

"Dude, don't spoil it!" Madilyn whined, Nikki rolling her eyes.

"I couldn't help but get to know her," Jowar went on. "She was the most wonderful person I'd ever met, and we connected instantly...Within a few months, we were married. After a while, I came to a decision: We would have a child, one born of a wizard and a resident of the darkness. A child such as that might be the one, greatest hope our world could ever hope for. However, such would come at great cost."

"Walker mentioned something about you being less powerful than you used to be," Dirk brought up. "Is that the cost he meant?"

Jowar sighed, placing the yellow crystal on the table. "I've kept THIS hidden from you for some time as well."

"Whoa, anybody else feel that?" Patrick asked. "What did he just put down on the table?"

"A yellow crystal," Jowar explained, "and the source of my current powers. For, you see, when a wizard in Gaia has an offspring, their powers are instantly transferred from parent to child. Walker would inherit all of my powers as a wizard. However, it was a sacrifice I had to make, in order to give this world a chance to survive, and to reunite light with darkness...but, the world's new hope would soon become its greatest nightmare, as I awoke one night, a week after Walker's birth, to find my home in flames. As I attempted to escape, I caught a glimpse of them: Annabella, holding our child in one hand and a torch in the other, and flanked by HIM."

"Dradarius?" Nikki inquired.

"I wouldn't know the full truth until later on," Jowar continued. "Annabella was not only a spy, but she was Dradarius' wife, sent to seduce the last wizard into giving up his power, thus leaving the world without its greatest protector, and giving the darkness quite possibly its most powerful agent."

"Aw man, talk about your cruel tactics," Patrick said as the team felt a slight depression. "Well, how did you escape?"

"By the skin of my teeth," Jowar explained. "Just after Walker's birth, I decided to have the dwarves dig a tunnel out of our basement to a nearby cave, in case agents of Dradarius ever found us. Thankfully, I hadn't told Annabella about it yet, so they didn't know to look for me there, instead believing I burned with our home. As it was, while I managed to survive, I lost everything: My home, my powers, my son, all because the woman I loved turned out to be a fake."

"That's awful," Dirk muttered. "I can't imagine what that must've been like."

Layla nodded, wiping a tear away. "So, what happened next?"

"I hid in the cave for a few days, unsure of what to do, or if I should do ANYTHING," Jowar responded. "However, one night, I had a visitor: A formless spirit of light, telling me to follow it. I was hesitant, but it told me that if Gaia was ever to have a chance of survival, I should follow, so I did. And, after what felt like a week of chasing this spirit, I was brought here: The Ancient Library, where wizards had once studied and honed their craft in ancient times. Upon arrival, the spirit gave me my new staff, as well as the yellow Light Crystal, and with it, I felt my power begin to shine again."

"I don't understand," Nikki said. "If you've had a crystal this whole time, why haven't you been out there with us? I mean, for you to have a crystal, shouldn't that make you a Guardian of Gaia?"

Jowar shook his head sadly, stroking his beard. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. As you may or may not have guessed by now, the Ancient Library is situated over a vast nexus of energy. It's essentially made up of the elements that make up Gaia in their rawest form. But among them, the strongest element present was light, and that's what the crystal was forged from. However, being tied to the energies under the library, it places a limit on how much I can use it. For example, the further I travel from here, the less time I have to utilize my new powers. Depending on location, I might not be able to draw on them at all."

"That's why you've pretty much been staying here this whole time," Madilyn surmised, earning herself a nod.

"It's also how I got into botany," Jowar added. "Using the light to help grow plants is a good exercise in testing my powers. After a while, it just became habit."

"I can understand that," Patrick noted. "I first got into fencing and parkour to discipline my mind, so I could learn to be a meteorologist like my dad, but then I found out how much I loved doing them."

Nikki sighed. "I just, I don't understand why you didn't tell us all of this in the first place."

"At first, I deluded myself into thinking it didn't matter," Jowar admitted. "In addition, it's difficult to admitting to a weakness. And...if there's one thing I've gotten to know most about you five, it's that you're good people. I worried that if you knew that Walker was my son, you might pull your punches against him in battle. But, the truth is, he's known for YEARS now of his true heritage, and has made the conscious decision to become a Shadowmancer, wasting the potential to use light so that he could revive the Lightless and form an army to take over Gaia."

"Hang on a sec, where does this leave Darkea?" Madilyn asked. "If Walker is YOUR son, and they're brother and sister-"

"Darkea is Walker's half-sister," Jowar replied. "She was conceived by Dradarius and Annabella shortly after her betrayal. However...complications in her birth became problematic for Annabella. She was never quite the same after, and...a few years later, word spread out of her passing..."

"You never got over her," Layla realized, looking ready to start crying again.

"Love can be blind, and family can be...'touchy'," Jowar admitted with a quick glance to Dirk.

Nikki placed a hand to the old wizard's shoulder. "...I'm so sorry about everything. Still, you should've told us. I mean, we're a team, all six of us."

"I'm not a Guardian of Gaia," Jowar insisted.

"Even if that IS true, you're still one of us," Nikki argued, albeit softly. "And as far as Walker goes...If he made his decision, then you've got nothing to worry about from us holding back on him."

* * *

Walker groaned, raising his staff as he gathered as much energy as he could into it. Then, with one massive swing, he hurled a black fireball straight at the front door of the library. While he was able to pierce the first force field, it diminished his attack significantly, and the second field around the door was more than enough to stop the blast in its tracks, causing it to dissipate.

"Tch," Walker growled. "Looks like Jowar's still got some tricks up his sleeve."

"You're honestly telling me we've got an army of a thousand Blots out here, and we can't even break down a stinking door?" Darkea asked incredulously.

Walker grinned evilly. "Actually, you've given me a great idea."

Darkea cocked an eyebrow as her brother began to wave his staff in the air, gathering a dark mist from the air. Suddenly, a few Venom Blots began to dissolve into black smog that joined with the rest of the mist, dark outlines of the Werewolf and Black Dog Lightless figurines forming in the midst of it all. Finally, Walker fired a shot of dark flames into the cloud, causing it to reshape into a large, two-headed canine monster with long electrified claws and eggplant-coloured lines running across its body.

"Behold, the true form of the twin canine Lightless, the Orthrus Lightless!" Walker proclaimed, the monster howling as it slashed at the force field, cutting an opening in it.

* * *

Inside the main chamber of the library, the alarm went off, shaking the group out of their depressed state. They all turned to the Viewing Globe as it showed a twin-headed Lightless, each head resembling that of the fallen Lightless from earlier, slashing its way through the outer force field.

"Are you KIDDING me?!" Nikki demanded. "He merged the two Lightless we just destroyed into one?!"

"I'm gonna assume that's pretty ugly looking," Patrick stated. "Okay, we better get back out there."

"Whoa, whoa, you gonna be okay?!" Layla asked. "Your eyes-"

"I train blindfolded all the time," Pat countered. "Besides, our bodies haven't recovered from Powered-Up Mode yet, which means our best shot is the Gaia Blaster."

"Just promise you'll take it easy out there," Nikki replied. "That's an order."

Patrick nodded, the five Rangers leaving to defend the library as Jowar sat at the table. However, before leaving with the others, Dirk stopped and looked back at the sad old wizard, who was left to look over the yellow crystal. Dirk sighed, sorry to see the group's mentor in such a state.

"...Y'know, if it was me, I think I'd say to heck with the limitations on that crystal," Dirk said, "and take every chance I could to get back at Dradarius for turning my family against me...That's just me, though."

Jowar looked to Dirk with sad eyes. "That sounds a bit too much like vengeance for my tastes."

"Maybe," Dirk replied. "But if it helped to save Gaia...I dunno, maybe it'd be worth it."

With that, Dirk turned and chased after the others, leaving the old wizard alone. He looked down at the crystal, pondering Dirk's words as the crystal's yellow light shined in his eyes. In the back of his mind, he heard a light galloping, and he could feel himself surrounded by a silver light, like the one that had visited him in that cave all those years ago.

_Revenge?_ Jowar thought. _...No, not revenge. This can't be about revenge. Still, perhaps there is something I can get out of it..._

* * *

"Yes, that's it, my Orthrus Lightless!" Walker yelled almost gleefully. "Now, tear that door down!"

The Orthrus Lightless growled, taking hold of the door in both of its claws and yanking it clear off its hinges. However, the second it'd done so, it was hit by a series of blasts, causing it to drop the door on its left head and stumble backwards. Finally, Nikki ran out the door, pulling the tin can trap from above the door and slamming it across the monster's right skull, knocking it off its feet. The other four quickly joined her, forming up as the outer force field began to return to normal.

"Well, back for more, huh?" Walker asked, looking the team over from behind the force field. "And I SEE that one of you isn't doing as well as the others!"

"Well, lucky for you, I don't believe in eye for an eye!" Patrick yelled.

"Can't say the same for me, though!" Dirk added, cracking his knuckles. "I don't care WHOSE son you are, you're in desperate need of a whippin'!"

"So, 'Dad' told you the truth," Walker scoffed as his monster got back to its feet. "And now you're out to avenge the old man and his broken heart? How touching."

"You wouldn't know, since you clearly don't have one!" Layla countered.

"Yeah, Jowar's your father, and you still want to destroy him?!" Madilyn demanded. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Well, lemme see if I can sum it up for you," Walker hissed. "I'M FRICKING EVIL! I'm not some feeble old man still pining for a family he never really had, I'm a Shadowmancer with more power than he could ever hope to have now! And I'll prove it when my monster crushes his Guardians of Gaia!"

"We'll see about that!" Nikki called, spinning her blaster on her finger. "Guys?! **It's Morphin Time!**"

At this command, the team pulled their crystals free of their chains and placed the crystals inside their Crystal Blast Morphers. Raising their blasters up to the sky, the group pulled the triggers and cried out, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The five rainbow coloured blasts shot out, spiraling around in the air above, before doubling back and coating the team with their energy, morphing them into the Gaia Rangers.

"**Gaia Sabers!**" Nikki yelled, the Rangers drawing their short swords. They then dashed at the charging Orthrus Lightless, Nikki and Layla swinging for its heads, only for the monster to phase itself straight through them. Dirk and Madilyn tried to stab low, but the twin-headed canine swung its electrified claws hard and fast, blocking the strikes and then shoving the two into the Red and Blue Rangers. This left only Patrick, who swung his saber forward, only for it to be caught between the claws of the monster. The Green Ranger then found himself kicked to the ground harshly, groaning in pain.

"Heh, blind swordsman still trying to fight?" Walker asked from the sidelines. "You really ARE my father's student for being so pathetic."

Patrick grit his teeth, feeling a slight breeze blow past. As it did, though, he could see a faintly green image of his surroundings, specifically the monster, in his mind. As such, he was able to roll out of the way as the Lightless swung its claws down at him, then kipped up and slashed the monster across its left face. The others quickly joined in, swiping their swords all across the monster as they regrouped with Pat.

"Man, you weren't kidding about being okay!" Dirk commented. "How'd you do that?!"

"I dunno," Patrick admitted. "It was like I could see whatever the wind touched."

"Incoming!" Layla yelled, the five raising their blades to block a pair of claw swipes, only to have a surge of electricity pour through them. The only one left unharmed was Madilyn, the other four getting knocked away as the Violet Ranger was left to try and parry the mad slashes from the monster. After a while, she was eventually disarmed, but fortunately for her, the monster forgot about the blaster in her other holster, giving her a chance to shoot it in its right head's left eye, stunning it just enough for the other Rangers to draw their own blasters and level the monster with shots. However, this only succeeded in angering it, causing it to dash around in a blur and slash each of them down to the ground again.

* * *

Jowar's eyes widened as the sound of the battle was relayed through the Viewing Globe, drawing his attention from the Light Crystal. _No! They're still too worn out from the previous battle! They need help!_

With that, the old wizard began to head toward the door leading to the Magna Buster control station, only to stop in his tracks as he realized that there was little chance he could lock onto something so close to the library. More-so, powering up the weapon would require him to drop the shields, which would let all of the Blots in, and there were still roughly a thousand of them left. There was simply no way the Magna Buster could be of any help here.

"Grr, confound it all!" Jowar yelled, putting his staff through the door. "What am I supposed to do?!"

Panting hard out of frustration, Jowar suddenly began to see a silver light again, this time coating his staff. Pulling it from the door, his eyes widened as he saw that the unicorn horn had been twisted out of place, and he gasped at what he saw where it once was. Turning to the hall leading to the front door, he twisted the horn back into place as he made his way to the field of battle.

* * *

Nikki groaned as she and the others were tossed to the ground, trying to get back to her feet. "C'mon, you guys! We've gotta beat this canine creep!"

The others soon got to their feet as well, ready to begin yet another round of fighting with the Orthrus Lightless. However, just as it was about to attack, to the group's amazement, the shields of light around the library and the front entrance were dropped. Just as both sides of the conflict were left wondering just what was going on, the Rangers turned to see Jowar approach, staff in one hand and the Light Crystal in the other. The old wizard had his game face on, and everyone could feel the confidence radiating from it.

"So, decided to stop hiding and come out to face your end like a man?" Walker asked, Darkea and Sphantis getting ready to join the fight.

"You know, Walker, regardless of whatever happens here, or of everything you've done, you're still my son," Jowar proclaimed. "And because you're my son, and I'm the only rational parent you've ever had, it means I need to punish you for the atrocities you've wrought."

"Well, come and try," Walker said with a grin. "Assuming that old hip of yours can carry you out here."

"I wouldn't be too concerned with that," Jowar replied, holding up his crystal. "As I believe this generation says, **It's Morphin Time!**"

Twisting the unicorn horn on his staff back, Jowar unveiled the crystal compartment underneath for all to see before placing the Light Crystal inside and shutting it closed. He then gave his staff a spin before raising it skyward and calling, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" A series of yellow rays shot out from the horn, blasting the monster hard to the ground, before coating Jowar in its light. His robes were discarded, revealing a yellow Ranger suit with a golden belt, and a smaller golden star inside the white one. His helmet came on, his long beard disappearing from view, and while his helmet bared no animal motif, it instead had a gold and silver hooded cloak pulled up over it, just above the black visor.

"Guardian of Light!" Jowar yelled, golden light radiating off his suit as he struck his staff down. "Wizard Ranger!"

"Holy cow!" Layla cried as the Wizard Ranger's radiance shined on the team.

"Jowar's a Power Ranger?!" Madilyn demanded.

"Okay, even I can see THAT!" Patrick added in astonishment.

Darkea gulped, whispering in Walker's ear, "Um, weren't we trying to STOP them from having six Rangers?"

Walker growled. "Won't be ANY for long! _**BLOTS!**_"

At this yell, the Blots all charged forward, ready for battle. Jowar took one look at this and leaped up into the air, landing in the group of Blots and slamming his staff down, sending off a burst of light that disintegrated at least 20 of them right away. He quickly parried one Blot's swipe, firing a beam of light that decimated another group of about two dozen before elbowing the one in front of him in the eye, taking it out as well. The Wizard Ranger then leaped straight up, spinning in mid-air and blasting down every single Blot that came anywhere near him, eliminating another 30 of the foot soldiers.

"Sic him!" Walker shouted, Sphantis running into battle. The mantis/sphinx hybrid Lightless charged straight for the yellow Gaia Ranger, swinging his scythe-blades wildly. However, the old wizard was more than ready for him, blocking the swipes before planting his staff down and machine-gun kicking the monster in the chest. Jowar then swung a beam of light from his staff, aiming for Sphantis' head, only for the monster to duck it at the expense of about 4 dozen Blots around the two. The monster then aimed his scythes at the Wizard Ranger's legs like pincers, but found him quickly jumping up and landing on them with both feet, then smacking him across the skull with his staff, sending him sailing backward into seven Venom Blots.

"**Radiance Blast!**" Jowar shouted, raising his staff to the air as it gathered energy before aiming it at Sphantis and the Blots, firing not one but three charged-up spherical blasts of light. The result was a massive explosion that destroyed the Venom Blots and about 100 regular Blots, Sphantis being sent sailing through the air and crashing into Darkea.

"**Bronzooka!**" Jowar yelled, summoning the bazooka. "Nikki! The Kitsune Crystal!"

"Got it!" Nikki called back, hurling the pink crystal to him. Jowar managed to catch it, loading it and the Focus Crystal into the bazooka as more Blots came charging in. Aiming the Bronzooka with one arm and keeping his staff raised with the other, he pulled the trigger for the bazooka, launching an effigy of the Kitsune Zord while also firing Gatling-like shots of light from his staff at the hordes of Blots. Within moments, the ranks of Blots were cut down to less than half of what they once were, and while the Wizard Ranger looked as though he'd spent all his best moves, the other Rangers were quick to form up with him, all looking ready for another brawl.

"Your new powers are impressive," Walker admitted as he, Sphantis, Darkea, and the Orthrus Lightless joined the remaining Blots. "But you can't last forever, and I still have a large enough army to crush the six of you!"

"You might want to count again!" Jowar suggested, pointing behind the army of darkness. Turning back, Walker's eyes widened at what he saw: A small army of about two hundred centaurs, night elves, gnomes, dwarves, and dryads, all armed with shields, swords, and bows, and all charging the army of Blots from behind, quickly cutting through their ranks.

"Whoa, who called the cavalry?!" Dirk asked.

"I did," Jowar answered. "Just before I began powering up the Magna Buster, I sent out a distress signal to anyone who could receive it. They're a bit later than I was hoping for, but better late than never."

Darkea sweat-dropped. "Maybe now would be a good time to retreat!"

Walker growled, wanting to retort, but Nikki quickly cut in. "Don't forget about us! Let's bring 'em together!"

"_**Gaia Blaster!**_" the five Rangers shouted, assembling their weapons into their combined blaster. "_**FIRE!**_"

Layla pulled the trigger, sending five streams of fire, wind, water, earth, and lightning at the leaders of the army, knocking them away and leaving only the Orthrus Lightless left. It charged at the group, claws ready to hack away, as Patrick and Madilyn loaded their Gaia Sabers with their crystals, and Dirk, Nikki, and Layla loaded their blasters, charging up for a combined assault.

"_**Quintuple-mental Scramble!**_" the five called, unleashing their attacks on the monster. The blasts and slashes hit it hard, causing it to convulse as its body overloaded before collapsing in an explosion, dark mist left over from its body rising into the air.

"You better run, Walker!" Nikki suggested. "Before you and your sister are next!"

Walker roared like an enraged animal. "I'll show you who's next! Dark Staff of the Wyvern, make my monster grow!"

Throwing his staff up, Walker fired a mass of black flames into the sky, pumping it into the black smog floating in mid-air. The smog began to expand until it formed a giant-sized version of the Orthrus Lightless, standing tall over the battlefield. Walker then aimed his staff down, creating a portal that pulled himself, Darkea, and Sphantis back to their hideout, leaving the Rangers and their allies to deal with the hundreds of Blots and the giant monster.

"We've gotta get that thing away from here, before someone gets squashed!" Dirk yelled.

"Guys, I dunno if I can pilot the Hippogriff Zord with my eyes like this," Patrick pointed out.

Jowar nodded, putting a hand to his shoulder. "Don't worry. If I limit my power enough, I can provide your Zord with a replacement pilot."

"Seriously?" Patrick asked before handing over his weapons. "Okay then, go for it."

Jowar nodded as he and the others raised the Gaia Sabers and called out, "**_We need Gaia Zord power, now!_**" The Gaia Zords hit the scene within seconds, the five teleporting up into the cockpits, unloading on the Orthrus Lightless with a series of blasts from each Zord.

"**Gaia Zords, combine!**" Nikki ordered, the team taking the Zord crystals out of their Gaia Sabers and switching them for the Unity Crystals. The five Zords went airborne, combining into a giant robot that flew at the Orthrus Lightless, grabbing hold of it and hauling it out of the forest before landing.

"_**Gaia Megazord, power up!**_" the five Rangers shouted from their united cockpit. The Orthrus Lightless howled, firing twin blasts of black lightning from its mouths that impacted the Megazord hard. It then rushed in, slashing it across the chest and causing the robot to stumble backward.

"We need some extra help!" Nikki yelled, inserting the Kitsune Crystal in her blaster. "Kitsune Zord, power up!"

"Turtle Zord, power up!" Layla called, placing the Turtle Crystal in her blaster. The Red and Blue Rangers pulled the triggers, sending out pink and aquamarine lights that summoned the Kitsune and Turtle Zords. The two leaped up, immediately taking on their crossbow and shield forms, and were caught by the Megazord in its right and left hands.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Shield and** **Bow!**_" the team shouted. The Orthrus Lightless let out another pair of howling blasts of lightning, the Megazord blocking one with the shield while countering the other with arrow shots.

"I think it's time we finished this up!" Dirk suggested, inserting the Focus Crystal into his blaster and firing. "Focus Crystal, power up!"

The Gaia Megazord began to glow with a bronze light, loading the Turtle Shield onto the crossbow as the Rangers yelled out, "_**Heptagon Blast!**_" The Megazord then fired the Kitsune Bow, launching the Turtle Zord with the combined power of all seven Gaia Zords. However, as it was about to make contact, its heptagonal shield of light surrounding it, the Orthrus Lightless turned intangible, letting the blast pass right through and the Turtle Zord to go rolling off harmlessly along the ground.

"D'oh, I missed!" Dirk cursed.

The Lightless howled, taking advantage of the Rangers' stunned moment to power up both claws with black voltage. It then swung both forward, nailing the Megazord hard and sending it tumbling to the ground, the Kitsune Bow falling from its grasp. The monster then leaped onto it, slashing the robot across the back as sparks flew off of it.

"Gah!" Madilyn cried. "Get off!"

The Gaia Megazord turned just enough to backhand the Orthrus Lightless with its left hand, knocking the monster off. The giant robot then spread its wings and took off, power flowing from all five Zords into its fists as it swooped down at the Lightless, the Rangers roaring "_**Storm Punch!**_" Unfortunately, once again, the canine Lightless was able to phase through their attack, blasting the Megazord from behind as it passed by.

"Okay, THAT'S getting old!" Nikki shouted. "We gotta find some way to shut that move down, or nothing we do will even touch it!"

Suddenly, as if by answer, a silver light shined throughout the Megazord cockpit. It floated around about the Rangers before hovering before Jowar, warming him with its light. The old wizard's eyes widened as he suddenly recognized it.

"...You!" Jowar whispered. "It was you all those years ago, wasn't it?"

The light jolted up and down, as if nodding 'Yes' to that question. It then began glow even brighter until it took on a form: That of a silver crystal floating in mid-air before the Wizard Ranger, who reached out and took it gently. As he did, he could see the gentle outline of a unicorn stare back at him.

"You were a Gaia Zord all along!" Jowar surmised. "You've been waiting for so long, just for this exact moment, so you could help the Guardians of Gaia, haven't you?"

"Sweet!" Madilyn exclaimed. "Plug it in, and let's take it for a spin!"

Jowar nodded, inserting the silver crystal into Patrick's blaster and pulling the trigger. The Gaia Megazord shot out a silver light from its eyes up into the sky, the image of a silver moon appearing. From atop it, a lone unicorn stood, its eyes fixed on the Orthrus Lightless. The monster fired a pair of electrical blasts at it, but the unicorn's eyes widened, sending a beam of light out from its horn that not only cancelled out the attack, but shone upon the Lightless, causing its body to solidify.

"Check it out!" Layla cheered. "The Unicorn Zord is stopping that Lightless' phasing power in its tracks!"

"Man, this Gaia Zord's a patient little bugger, huh?" Dirk laughed.

"Now we'll see what it can REALLY do!" Nikki declared. The Unicorn Zord nodded, leaping off the moon as it faded from view. It then shifted its body around to form a hilt for the Megazord, its horn extending in a beam of light into a long blade.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Unicorn Sword!**_" the five Rangers called. The Orthrus Lightless ran towards the Megazord, claws ready to strike, but got a slash across the chest for its efforts, followed by a second swipe across the back as it spun around in pain. The monster fell to the ground, but quickly rolled onto its feet, ready to attack again as the Unicorn Sword shimmered with silver light.

"Back to obedience school for you!" Nikki yelled as she and the others raised their hands up, the Gaia Megazord tracing the sword up to form a crescent moon outline.

"_**Crescent Cutter!**_" the team shouted, chopping their hands down like swords. Likewise, the Gaia Megazord swung the Unicorn Sword hard, sending out a silver crescent moon slash that flew straight through the monster, causing it to flail around before collapsing to the ground, exploding. The black smog didn't even have much of a chance to raise into the sky, evaporating almost instantly.

"You'll never win, Walker!" Nikki shouted. "Not as long as the Power Rangers are here to stop you!"

* * *

"HOW?!" Walker screamed, blasting a nearby chair to pieces. "HOW could this happen?! We had thousands of Blots, two Lightless, and the Rangers backed into a corner! And now, not only has my father become one of them, but they've even gotten hold of a new Gaia Zord!"

"It's not over yet!" Darkea reasoned. "I ordered what Venom Blots I could to retreat for now, and we still have plenty more Blots and Lightless to summon! And based on what I saw, they clearly don't have the last Guardian on their side yet!"

"You'd better hope not!" Walker threatened, aiming his staff at his sister. "If they join with the Guardian of Darkness, NOTHING will keep Dradarius from finding out, and you know how HE handles failures at carrying his will out! And so help me, if I go down, YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!"

* * *

Nikki, Layla, Dirk, and Madilyn all waited out in the main chamber, holding their collective breaths for some kind of news. Patrick and Jowar had been in the medical wing of the Ancient Library for over an hour since the battle ended, along with Faye, who had come with the dryads that aided against the Blot hordes. Finally, Faye and Jowar returned, both looked somewhat deflated. Patrick followed, wearing a pair of sunglasses with green borders.

"...Well?" Layla asked her girlfriend. "What's the story?"

"Well, the good news is that I was able to stop the pain in his eyes," Faye replied. "But...I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for his eye-sight. It might come back someday, or it might not. I really have no idea. I'm sorry."

Patrick nodded. "It's okay, Faye. Really. Actually, while I was fighting before, I felt like I COULD see for just a moment, when a breeze came by...although, I think it might've just been in my head."

Jowar gave a small smile, stroking his beard. "Your already well-tuned senses were likely improved by reaching out through your wind elemental powers. It was something I believed might occur, but I didn't want to get your hopes up. With time and practice, you'll be able to see whatever the air touches, giving you sight even beyond what you were once capable of."

"Well, THAT'S a relief," Madilyn sighed, letting herself relax.

"Tell me about it," Patrick replied.

"You sure you're gonna be okay with this?" Nikki asked. "I mean, getting images in your head is one thing, but-"

"Right now, I'm more worried being able to help my friends," Patrick cut her off. "If I can do that, then I'll call it acceptable losses for now. Besides, maybe my eyesight WILL come back someday. Anything's possible, right?"

Dirk nodded before turning to Jowar. "And what about you? You gonna be able to help out where you can?"

"Absolutely," Jowar responded. "Thinking back to what you said, Dirk, the truth is, I DON'T want revenge. What I want is justice. I want to stop Dradarius and, if need be, my son from causing anymore harm than they already have. I'll likely have to remain here as a mentor to you all for the most part, but if there's a way for the Wizard Ranger to assist you, he will."

"Then it looks like the six of us are a team from now on," Patrick said with a grin, putting his hand out. Jowar smiled, placing his atop it, and within moments, the other Rangers all walked over and placed their hands in the group as well, their elemental powers pooling together, and they were filled with the boundless confidence that, as long as they stayed together, nothing could stop them.

* * *

A loud thud rang out throughout the empty gray desert as a giant Blot fell to the ground, slowly dissolving. Standing before it was a young man in a black hooded cloak, resting a large black and indigo sword on his shoulder. Stretching out across the desert, hundreds more Blots, both large and small, were laying defeated, their bodies fading away.

The figure in black turned away from the giant, beginning to walk through the gray sand, when his eyes caught a small glimmer of silver light off in the far distance. Putting his sword in its sheath, he dug into his pocket, pulling out three crystals: One indigo, one white, and one black. Peering down at them with his amber eyes, he could hear the roars of a dragon, a wolf, and a lion echo in his mind.

"Time's up," he said, looking to the sky. "Game on."

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** WELL, that was a little crazy. lol

So, let's recap some details. Jowar is the Wizard Ranger, his suit's primary colour being yellow (though he also wears a gold and silver hooded cloak while morphed) as its one of the colours that make the rainbow. His staff doubles as his Morpher, much in the same way the Crystal Blast Morphers are also the team's side-arm blasters. As you can see, his light element is the natural weakness to the Blots, as they are made entirely out of darkness, hence why he was able to take out about five hundred of them so quickly. It's not necessarily that he's SO much more powerful than the others, it's just the nature of how his powers work. Also, much in the same way that the other Rangers can delve into their powers to achieve Powered-Up Mode (and yes, that's what I'm calling it), Jowar can limit his own powers so that he's capable of piloting a Zord, even when he's further away from the library, thus making him a stand-by replacement pilot if they need it. Otherwise, he doesn't really have a Zord of his own, as the Unicorn Zord is another of the auxiliary Zords, though the chamber where he powers and controls the Magna Buster is reminiscent of a Zord cockpit.

About Patrick. I'll admit, I wasn't really planning this all that too far ahead. It was more-so a reaction to everything I'd done with him so far. He took out the giant Blot without a Zord. He's regularly engaged Darkea in solo combat. He fought the fake MMPR on his own, knowing full well there was a good chance he'd get his butt kicked. He took the Skeleton Lightless out. He was the first to achieve Powered-Up Mode. So really, there was nowhere else I could take him to develop him as an awesome fighter, other than to make him a blind swordsman/parkour expert. Will I ever give him back his eyesight? Honestly, I haven't decided. If I do, it probably won't be until the very end.

In terms of Powered-Up Mode, the only real change it has from a visible standpoint is that the Rangers have light running off their suits in the colour and form of their elements. Otherwise, they look exactly the same. Of course, as you saw in the previous couple of chapters, the effect it has on them in battle is a bit more extreme than that, granting them enhanced speed, strength, durability, and control over their elemental powers. The downside is that, because of just how much power is running through them at the time, it can weaken the team severely by its prolonged usage.

Anyway, that's all for now. Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, as the Rangers recover from the intense Battle for Everbright, one in particular is feeling guilty over a terrible injury inflicted in the battle. Can they overcome this in time to save the team from a trap set by Darkea? Ja né!


	12. Guilt Is Bad For The Soul

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Nikki groaned, observing the chess board. Things were not going well at all. Layla was one move away from checkmate, and they both knew it. Nikki looked down at her lone pawn. She could see a way to block Layla from checking her, but she wasn't sure how long it would last. Still, she could at least tell it would nab a few of the blonde's pieces if nothing else, so she'd at least go down kicking.

With no other moves she could think of, Nikki reached down for her pawn. However, as she was about to grab it, she stopped, hearing the sound of an explosion and a familiar cry of pain. Nikki bit her lip, trying to grab hold of her pawn, but her hand was too shaky, and she wound up knocking it over, along with a couple of other nearby pieces. She growled in frustration, turning away.

"Nikki?" Layla asked, concerned. "You alright?"

Nikki sighed hard. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I just-"

The leader of the Guardians of Gaia stopped, spotting Jowar and Patrick outside the window. They were practicing Pat's training to master seeing all the air touched in his mind, and despite some occasional clunkiness to it, it looked like he was making good progress. Still, just seeing him there, with those sunglasses blocking out his green eyes, it was painful for Nikki to watch.

"...Look, we all feel bad for him, Nikki," Layla said as she figured it out, reaching a hand for Nikki's shoulder, only for it to be brushed away.

"It's more than that, though!" Nikki argued, getting up from her seat. "It's my fault he got hurt in the first place! Don't you remember?!"

_Nikki groaned, fighting to stay up as Walker approached her, holding her chin up with his staff. "It's not too late, you know. I can spare all five of you, even help you find a way home. All you have to do is surrender...KNEEL before me..."_

_Nikki didn't say anything, spitting in the Shadowmancer's face defiantly. Walker scowled, hitting her in the gut with the staff before raising it to strike her again. Before he could, through, the others got back to their feet, Dirk and Madilyn blocking his staff while Patrick and Layla kicked him in the stomach, sending him stumbling back a few paces as the team formed up again. With everything they had, all five leaped up and dive-kicked Walker in the chest, knocking him off his feet, but he quickly rolled back onto them, firing a blast of dark flames that blew up on the ground before them. The five were send tumbling across the ground, Patrick clutching his face and crying out in pain._

"Of course I remember, it was just a couple of days ago," Layla replied as she stood up, snapping Nikki out of her flashback. "So what, we're not supposed to help you when you're in trouble or something?"

"I'M the leader!" Nikki yelled. "I'M supposed to be able to protect you guys!"

"Oh, so now we need you to protect us?!" Layla snapped back, getting frustrated.

"No, I just-!" Nikki started to say before letting out a growl, kicking a bucket over. "I get that we're a team! But I'M the one who always has the final say on our plans, and I'm supposed to be able to come up with the one that gets us all out alive!"

Layla sighed, rubbing her arm. "Nikki, Patrick's alright. I mean, I know he lost his eyesight, but Faye said she wasn't sure it was permanent, and he's training to learn to see without his eyes."

"Yeah, but what happens if, next time we go into battle, Madilyn loses a leg?!" Nikki insisted. "Or Dirk loses an arm?! Or you get blown up again and DON'T come out okay?! Heck, what if one of us **DIED**, Layla?!"

"And what, that thought never occurred to you before now?" Layla asked.

"I guess..." Nikki muttered. "Even when you had your accident, or Patrick fell off that cliff, or we had to fight giant monsters for the first time without Zords, there was always this voice in my head that told me that everything was okay. Now...I just can't hear it anymore."

Layla shook her head, reaching a hand out, but Nikki wouldn't have any of it, walking away. The tech wizard of the team just watched her leader walk out of the main chamber, letting her arm drop. Looking back to the chess board, she couldn't help but notice that, among the pieces that Nikki had knocked over, the most noticeable was her queen.

* * *

"It's gotten that bad, huh?" Madilyn asked as she sat on the picnic blanket outside with the other Rangers (save for Nikki) and Faye, who was still enjoying a peaceful visit.

Layla nodded sadly, Faye holding her hand. "It's awful. It's like she's completely lost all confidence."

Jowar sighed, stroking his beard. "That's a HUGE problem, especially given the requirements needed to use the new weapon you've been building."

"New weapon?" Dirk asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I've been tinkering with a miniature version of the Unicorn Sword," Layla explained. "Once it's finished, all you have to do is plug the Unicorn Crystal in, and it'll work just like the one the Unicorn Zord transforms into."

"Sounds awesome," Patrick commented. "So, what's this about requirements?"

"Unfortunately, the discipline, determination, and focus required to wield the element of light properly goes beyond the other elements," Jowar answered. "Normally, you or Nikki would be the perfect Rangers to wield it, but..."

"But, with her in her current state, and me still focusing on my air-sight training, kinda makes us more like a liability," Patrick finished. "It's okay, you can be honest about that."

"Well, the good news is, ever since the Battle of Everbright, Walker and Darkea have been relatively quiet," Faye noted. "So, at least it gives you some time."

"AND it's given us some time to try and locate the indigo crystal," Dirk pointed out. "Still no luck with it, mind you, but-"

"Wait, the last crystal is indigo?" Madilyn asked.

Jowar blinked. "Even I didn't know that. How could you know that, Dirk?"

"Because yours was yellow," Dirk stated matter-of-factly, leading to everyone looking confused. "...Seriously? Red, green, blue, orange, violet, yellow, IN-DI-GO! No one noticed that our Ranger colours were the colours of the rainbow?"

"No, and now I'm feeling REALLY dumb for that," Patrick answered honestly, scratching the back of his head.

"I-I had my suspicions," Jowar stammered, a bit embarrassed.

"ANYWAY," Layla exclaimed, "getting back to the point of this little pow-wow, what are we gonna do about Nikki? We've gotta do something to help her chill out."

Madilyn grinned. "Hey, I've got an idea: How about we all go with Layla and Faye to North Market City? Get some air, do some shopping, it might help her to relax a little."

"And you're sure you don't just wanna play chaperone on me and Faye's date?" Layla inquired, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh!" Madilyn gasped, looking hurt to such a degree that the others could tell she was CLEARLY faking. "Such suspicion of my motives! I just wanna help our friend, is all. I wouldn't dream of following you two around, peeking over every corner to make sure you're keeping things at a nice, casual level for two people dating for as long as you two-"

"I'll keep her out of your hair," Patrick offered, getting a scowl from Madilyn. "And I don't need to see to know what you're doing right now."

Madilyn huffed. "Sheesh, the infectious suspicion around here is just not good for team morale..."

* * *

Darkea grinned, watching the group through the fireplace in the dark chamber. "So, they're planning on going on an outing to the North Market City, huh? Sounds perfect."

Walker looked up from his and Sphantis' work with the Ebony Venom. "...What, YOU care about the Red Ranger's supposed bad mood too?"

Darkea glanced back at her brother. "I do when I've been working on a plan to make use of that. She's been feeling so lousy after poor little Patrick lost the use of his eyes...but how badly do you think she'd feel if something awful were to happen to the whole rest of her team? Would she even be able to lift a finger against us?"

"When did YOU become the devious schemer?" Walker asked, a little taken aback. "I thought that was MY department."

Darkea shrugged. "I dunno, I just like being mean to people?"

"Whatever," Walker muttered. "Just make sure this plan of yours works. We still haven't found the indigo crystal, or the sword of the Guardian of Darkness, and if whoever found them joins up with the other Rangers, we're going to have not one but several MASSIVE problems."

"Relax, brother," Darkea insisted, placing a hand on her hip. "This time, the Guardians of Gaia will be eliminated for good!"

* * *

Nikki let out a very loud sigh. She wasn't sure how she'd let the others convince her to come to the North Market City...Well, truth be told, it was because they all made that annoyingly irresistible pouty face. She HATED that look, almost as much as she hated a boat load of Blots on a bad day. And as if that wasn't enough, Madilyn dragged her out of the team's bedroom, which now made the second time that girl dragged her into something she didn't want to do. She did NOT feel like shopping or enjoying the sights...but then, she wasn't really sure WHAT she wanted to do, only that she couldn't shake the same feeling of dread she'd been feeling for days now.

"What are you so worried about, anyway?" she heard Patrick demand of Madilyn, as he tried to keep her from spying on Layla and Faye from across the market.

"Well, I don't really know much about Faye, and this is Layla's first real relationship," Madilyn replied honestly. "I just don't want her to get hurt is all."

"She's a grown-up, AND a Power Ranger, Mad," Patrick reasoned. "What's the worst Faye could do to hurt her?"

"Y'know," Dirk interjected, "I REALLY hate to take Madilyn's side in this, but there ARE other ways to hurt someone, especially in a relationship. My sister once dated this guy that TOTALLY messed with her head, she was just completely inconsolable for weeks after that."

"See?" Madilyn said, beaming.

"Having said that, I've gotta say, I don't think Faye's like that," Dirk went on. "She seems to really like Layla, a lot."

"...Thanks," Madilyn muttered, her good mood gone.

"Don't get me wrong, I get where you're coming from, and it's a good thing to be looking out for your sis," Dirk noted. "But at same the time, you gotta give her some space."

"I know that," Madilyn said with a sigh, rubbing her arm. "I just, I worry about giving her TOO much space..."

After a while, Nikki just tuned the others out, looking to a nearby mirror that was on sale as the others went on ahead. She looked at her reflection, noticing the light scratches across her arms that were still healing from past battles. All in all, she'd been rather lucky to survive the battles they'd been through with just a few scratches, and even those weren't permanent.

_Why wasn't it me?_ Nikki wondered as images of the explosion that robbed Patrick of his vision bounced around in her head. Why did Patrick have to lose HIS eyesight? It was MY fault. Why wasn't it ME?

"I mean, I'm just saying, she's my little sister, and she's the only family I have left," Madilyn muttered as her conversation with the boys went on, unaware of Nikki's absence.

"What do you mean?" Patrick asked. "What about your parents?"

Madilyn's eyes widened in surprise. "I-I mean, my only family HERE! Y'know, 'cuz Mom and Dad are on Earth, and she's the only member of my family here! I mean, if one of your siblings was here, wouldn't YOU be overprotective of them?"

"Well, I'm an only child, so I guess I just don't get it," Pat admitted.

"I suppose if Travis were here, I'd be watching out for the little guy, but-" Dirk started to say before a loud scream cut him off. Looking to the source, he immediately spotted a female gnome running one of the tables backing away as Blots were forming out of the shadows cast by the tables.

"Blots!" Madilyn cried, Layla and Faye rushing over to join the three. "Think it's morphin time?!"

"We start a fight with our weapons, we could wreck the whole market," Patrick noted. "We can take a few Blots. What do you think, boss?"

"...Nikki?" Layla asked, looking around. "Hey, where'd she go?!"

"You guys try to stop the Blots, I'll find Nikki," Faye offered.

"Got it," Dirk said with a nod as Faye took off. "Let's get 'em!"

The four charged the Blots, picking their partners. Patrick, doing his best to feel out where the Blots were, leaped between a pair and a salesman, kicking them away. Two more came running, but Pat was able to flip off one of the fallen ones and dive-kick them both with one foot each to the chest.

Dirk grabbed hold of some rope used to keep patrons from getting behind the tables, and immediately went to work tackling a pair of Blots down, hogtying them. "You Blots have got NOTHING on my bull back at home!"

Grabbing hold of a vacant table, Madilyn and Layla hoisted it up and rammed a Blot in the gut, pushing it against several more until they managed to get a whole half a dozen of them. With a loud cry, the two girls managed to shove the group into a nearby well, sending them tumbling down and splashing into the water, dissolving into mist.

"Nice relaxing trip to the market," Layla muttered. "Maybe next time, Faye and I can go skydiving over a volcano."

"Over my dead body," Madilyn practically growled.

Patrick leaped up, wrapping his feet around a Blot's neck and flipping it into about three more, Dirk using a lasso to tie them all up. Once the Blots were bundled together, the two boys kicked them hard, sending them tumbling downhill and into some crates that had been stacked up.

"Oh!" Patrick groaned. "...Um, do you suppose those were expensive?"

"Not it," Dirk said quickly, leaving the redhead to fight some more Blots.

Suddenly, a portal opened in the middle of the area the four were fighting in, Darkea stepping out with an evil smirk on her face. Flanking her was a dark brown quadrupedal Lightless that looked to be a cross between a crocodile, a hippo, and a lion. At the sight of it, the remaining civilians that were still nearby decided to run and scream in terror.

"Darkea!" Patrick yelled as the team formed up to face her. "Almost didn't recognize you without big bro backing you up!"

"And I almost didn't recognize you with those 'hip' sunglasses, loser!" Darkea shot back, petting the Lightless at her side. "Like my new friend here? It's the Ammit Lightless, the devourer of souls. Isn't it just adorable?"

"Uh, to each their own?" Layla replied, a little creeped out as the monster growled at them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Faye finally managed to spot Nikki, who seemed transfixed on her reflection in a mirror. However, the seemingly depressed girl couldn't see as a trio of Blots were gathering on the roof over the mirror, out of sight. Seeing this, Faye dashed for Nikki, just managing to tackle her down and away as the Blots leaped down, stabbing their claws into the ground where Nikki once stood.

"Ugh, Faye?!" Nikki grunted, before spotting the Blots. As they pulled their claws out, she immediately got back to her feet and kicked one square in the chest, knocking it several feet away. She then threw a roundhouse kick into one of the remaining Blots' head before ducking the last one's swipe, cross-chopping it in the neck as she came back up. One punch to the eye later, and it was gone.

"Faye, where are the others?!" Nikki demanded, helping the dryad to her feet.

"A-A few yards down that way," Faye stammered, pointing toward a path that several salesmen were running out of. "Hurry!"

Nikki nodded, charging for the path and punching any Blot that got in her way in the eye as Faye gave pursuit. Pretty soon, she spotted the team, facing off with Darkea and a new Lightless. Its eyes started to glow as the four pulled their crystals free with the call of "_**It's Morphin Time!**_" However, before they could draw their Crystal Blast Morphers, the monster opened its jaws and send a black swirling vortex out at the group, stunning them. As Nikki watched on in horror, the vortex pulled ghostly images of the four out of their bodies and into its mouth, shutting its jaws as the vortex closed and the team fell to the ground.

"NO!" Nikki cried, drawing her blaster and opening fire on the monster, causing it and Darkea to back off as Nikki got between them and her friends. "What did you do to them, Darkea?!"

"Why, I didn't do anything," Darkea insisted. "It was my new friend here that did the deed, devouring their souls and leaving them as empty shells. Have fun with your new Powerless Rangers!"

Nikki growled, pulling her crystal free of its chain. However, before she could morph, a portal opened behind Darkea and the Ammit Lightless, pulling them in before fading away. Nikki yelled in rage and anguish, watching the two get away, but quickly turned her attention to her fallen friends, their skin turning grayish. Faye ran over, immediately to Layla's side, looking terrified.

"Jowar!" Nikki yelled into the communicator. "I need help!"

"What's happened?!" Jowar demanded.

"The others are down!" Nikki cried. "Teleport us to the library, NOW!"

Jowar didn't waste another second. Within moments, Nikki could feel a silver light engulf her, the other Rangers, and Faye, before they were all teleported through the sky as multicoloured rays of light.

* * *

Darkea giggled evilly, watching as Nikki teleported away from the market. "And that, as the Orange Ranger will never say again, is how we 'get 'er done'."

"And the reason you didn't just finish the Red Ranger off right away was because...?" Walker asked, still a bit confused as to the whole plan.

"Because she no longer matters," Darkea reasoned, petting the Ammit Lightless. "One Ranger losing their eyesight was enough to make her depressed to the point where she almost got taken down by Blots, but the whole bunch of them? Chances are, we may never have to see her ever again. And even if she DOES come back out for another romp, my little friend here gets stronger with every soul he devours."

Walker nodded. "I see. Well, just in case, you might want to consider having it feast on a few more souls, just to keep the odds in our favour."

Darkea grinned as the beast wagged its tail. "Good idea. In fact, I think eating the Rangers' souls has only increased its appetite..."

* * *

Faye and Nikki waited in the main chamber as Jowar went about using a magical scan on the others with his staff. For Faye, the knowledge that Layla was without her soul and left an empty husk was enough to break her heart as she sat sadly in a chair. For Nikki, though, all she could do was pace back and forth, cursing herself and replaying what she saw in her head over and over.

"Dang it all, I should've been there," Nikki muttered. "Instead I was looking at some mirror like an idiot while my friends fought Blots on their own."

"Nikki, it wasn't your-" Faye started to say.

"DON'T!" Nikki yelled. "Don't say 'It wasn't your fault'! It WAS my fault! I should've been there!"

"If you had, there's a good chance your soul might've been taken away too," Faye reasoned, getting up from her seat.

"Yeah, great, lot of good it does to have me be up and kicking!" Nikki growled.

"It IS," Faye insisted. "You're still here, which means there's a chance we can do something about the others."

"Listen to Faye," Jowar said, exiting the bedroom. "She's right."

"Jowar, tell me there's a way you can bring them back," Nikki pleaded with the old wizard.

Jowar sighed, stroking his beard. "I'm afraid, with my powers limited as they are, there's not much I can do, but there's something YOU can do: By destroying the Ammit Lightless, every soul devoured by it will be returned to their bodies."

"How are we even gonna find that thing?" Nikki asked, confused.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Faye noted, drawing everyone's attention to the Viewing Globe. Sure enough, it was displaying a small village of gnomes trying to defend themselves with rocks and arrows as the Ammit Lightless was sucking their souls in one by one.

"This is bad," Jowar observed. "With every soul it consumes, the Ammit Lightless grows stronger."

Nikki watched on, her lip trembling as her fists clenched. "I-I don't know if I can stop that thing on my own, Jowar...!"

"I'm sorry, Nikki," Jowar replied, "but you have to. I can't use my powers that far away. You're the only one who can stop that monster and return the others to normal."

"But I can't!" Nikki cried. "All I do is screw up and hurt my friends! I can't do this anymore! I just-!"

Before she could go on, Nikki felt a hand slap her across the face, stopping her ranting. Staring ahead blankly, she saw Faye, at first looking angry, but then appearing to be horrified as she pulled her hand back, Nikki touching her own face.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Faye apologized quickly. "I-I just did what I thought Madilyn might've done if she were here!"

"Madilyn..." Nikki whispered, rubbing her face as she looked over at the bedroom, where the others were laying in bed motionless. "...Layla, Dirk, Patrick...They're all..."

"Nikki, sometimes things go wrong in battle," Jowar said. "You can be as smart, strong, fast, and prepared as possible, and something will still go wrong. The others wanted you to regain your confidence, so that you could wield the new weapon Layla designed, because they still believe in you."

"They still..." Nikki said quietly, feeling tears well up before quickly blinking them back, slapping herself on the opposite cheek from the one Faye had slapped. "...Right. They're my team, my friends, and I need to help them."

"The Unicorn Crystal will only power the sword if you have complete confidence in yourself," Jowar advised as Nikki turned back to face the Viewing Globe. "Good luck, Red Ranger."

Nikki nodded. "**It's Morphin Time!**" Yanking the Phoenix Crystal free of its chain, she drew her Crystal Blast Morpher and placed the crystal inside. Raising her blaster up, she pulled the trigger and shouted, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The flaming red beam shot out, spinning in mid-air before engulfing her, morphing her into the Red Gaia Ranger.

Once morphed, Nikki teleported to the village, standing between the gnomes and Darkea and the Ammit Lightless. "Back off, fang face!"

Darkea sneered, drawing her sickle. "So, back for more?! Sic her!"

The Ammit Lightless roared, leaping at the Red Ranger and tackling her to the ground. Nikki groaned as she tried to keep away from the monster's jaws, just barely keeping her head as it bit down on the ground to her left. It reared its head back, ready to bite for her again, but Nikki managed to get her blaster up, unloading fire blasts into the monster's mouth. The beast backed off as Nikki rolled to her feet, keeping her blaster trained on it.

Nikki groaned, waving her hand in front of her face. "Oh man, your breath is heinous like Darkea's-"

"HEY!" Darkea shouted. "We'll see if you still find this so funny when my monster uses the power of your friends to destroy you with!"

As Darkea said this, the Ammit Lightless growled, its body expanding slightly as it stood on its hind legs. Its front legs grew into arms as a long, deadly lance appeared clutched in its claws. A helmet shaped like a Behemoth's head materialized atop its crocodile head. Finally, its body changed from dark brown all over to being dark shades of green, blue, orange, and violet all over. It let out a roar as its power increased, drawing on the souls of the other Rangers.

"...Okay, suddenly this job got a bit tougher," Nikki muttered before pressing her thumb to her buckle. "**Heat Bow!**"

The Heat Bow in hand, Nikki fired an arrow for the monster's chest, only for it to slice it in half with its lance. The Ammit Lightless then opened its jaws wide, releasing a stream of electrified water at the Red Ranger, blasting her back into the side of a small hut. Shaking off the pain, Nikki dodged to her left as the Lightless literally slid across the ground, stabbing its lance into the wall where she just was.

"**Heat Sabers!**" Nikki shouted, pulling her bow apart. Slashing at the beast with her twin swords, the attack was parried by the Ammit Lightless' lance, which then spun the lance hard to create a gust of wind that sent Nikki stumbling backwards. She groaned as she came to a stop, only to get slashed by Darkea's sickle, sparks flying off her suit as she fell to the ground.

"What did you even bother coming out of the library for, anyway?" Darkea asked, honestly curious as Nikki pulled herself back up. "Did you really think you could beat my precious monster, or were you hoping it could devour YOUR soul too, so you could be with your friends again?"

"I came for my friends' souls," Nikki answered, crossing her arms. "And I'm not leaving without them! **Powered-Up Mode!**"

Throwing her arms down, the Red Ranger became engulfed in flame-like light as she tapped into the greater parts of her powers. Pressing her buckle, she called out, "**Unicorn Sword!**", summoning the miniature Unicorn Sword and Crystal. Opening the unicorn's jaws to reveal a compartment for the crystal, she plugged it in, causing the blade to shimmer with a silver light.

"Give it your best shot!" Darkea yelled as she and the Ammit Lightless raced forward.

"My friends believe in me, and I believe in them," Nikki said, charging up her attack. "...So I'll believe in me too!"

Giving a battle cry, Nikki swung the Unicorn Sword hard, slashing across Darkea's armour and sending her tumbling away. Next, she stabbed the point at the Ammit Lightless' lance, snapping it in half. Finally, she spun around and slashed the blade across the monster's jaws, knocking it away.

"You've had it, you chimera-looking freakshow!" Nikki yelled, drawing her Gaia Saber and inserting her Phoenix Crystal, causing the blade to glow red as she readied both swords. "Now, give my friends' souls back!"

The Ammit Lightless roared, charging at the Red Ranger. Nikki crossed her blades over her head, letting the energy build, before swinging them both downward with the shout of "**Double-mental Slash!**" The combined fire and light cuts were too much for the beast as its power overloaded, causing it to explode into a mass of dark mist as the ghostly images of the souls it stole flew off to their rightful places. Nikki let out a loud sigh, the flaming energy surrounding her dying down as she fell to her knees in exhaustion.

"No!" Darkea shouted before looking to the sky. "WALKER! Hurry up and make my monster grow!"

Within moments, a black flame shot out across the sky, funneling itself into the dark mist left over from the Ammit Lightless. The mist began to grow and reform until it became a giant-sized version of the monster's bipedal form, save the helmet, lance, or change of colours. It let out a roar, stomping its foot down into an abandoned hut as Nikki rolled out of the way.

* * *

Dirk groaned as he sat up in bed, rubbing his temples. "Ah, my head...I feel like I got turned inside out."

"Something like that," Jowar replied as he entered the bedroom, Faye immediately tackle-hugging Layla. "The Ammit Lightless stole your souls. Nikki had to get them back."

"Where is she?" Patrick asked, rolling out of bed.

"Fighting the monster now," Jowar answered.

"We better get over there, pronto," Layla added as Faye released her, the others getting out of bed.

"**It's Morphin Time!**" Madilyn called, the group inserting their crystals into the blasters.

"_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" the group shouted, pulling the triggers and morphing into their suits. Once done, Jowar teleported the four to face the monster, arriving a few feet from Nikki as she leaped out of the way of the monster's stomps.

"Hang on, Nikki!" Madilyn yelled, the group running over.

"Guys, you're all okay?!" Nikki cried, meeting up with them.

"Yeah, but this one's asking for it!" Dirk replied, pointing up at the Lightless. "Let's get 'er done!"

Nikki nodded, raising her Gaia Saber as the others inserted their crystals and did the same with theirs. "**_We need Gaia Zord power, now!_**"

"Red Phoenix Gaia Zord, power up!" Nikki yelled, her sword sending out a burning red light to the top of a nearby mountain, the Phoenix Zord taking off from it.

"Green Hippogriff Gaia Zord, power up!" Patrick called, a green gust-like beam firing from his saber into a cluster of clouds, bringing out the Hippogriff Zord.

"Blue Leviathan Gaia Zord, power up!" Layla shouted, her saber releasing a blue watery blast into the lake, the Leviathan Zord lifting its neck out the water.

"Orange Behemoth Gaia Zord, power up!" Dirk exclaimed, his sword sending out an orange earthly beam into the woods, the Behemoth Zord stomping out on all fours.

"Violet Thunderbird Gaia Zord, power up!" Madilyn cried, sending a violet bolt of light up out of her sword into a thundercloud, the Thunderbird Zord sailing out of it.

"Let's go!" Nikki shouted, the team teleporting into the Zord cockpits and inserting their weapons. "Log on!"

"Patrick here, and feeling lucky!" Patrick replied.

"Layla, all systems are go!" Layla responded.

"Dirk here, ready to tear it up!" Dirk shouted.

"I'm gonna make shoes outta this croc!" Madilyn snarked, the Thunderbird Zord swooping in to blast the Ammit Lightless with electrified feathers. The monster roared as it backed off in pain, only to be tripped up by the Leviathan Zord's tail, sending it crashing onto its face.

"Okay, let's finish this!" Nikki yelled, drawing her Unity Crystal.

"_**Right!**_" the Rangers shouted as they brought out their own Unity Crystals, swapping out the crystals in their sabers for them and shouting "_**Gaia Zords, combine!**_" The Zords all leaped into the air, shifting around and combining into a giant robot that landed with a thud on both feet.

"_**Gaia Megazord, power up!**_" the team called, the robot coming to life as the Ammit Lightless charged it, slashing its claws across the Megazord's chest. The robot quickly fired back with a pair of jabs, followed by a spinning roundhouse to the face. This knocked the monster off its feet, but it quickly rolled back onto them, letting out a roar from its jaws that caused the Megazord to stumble backwards, sparks flying all across its body.

"The heck is it doing?!" Dirk demanded.

"It's using its roar to drain the Megazord's power!" Layla replied. "If this keeps up, we're finished!"

"We're not done yet!" Nikki yelled. "Everyone, let's give the Megazord all the power we've got!"

The group nodded, clutching the hilts of their sabers tightly as they focused as much energy as they could through them. The Gaia Megazord began to glow brilliantly as their energies filled it, finally launching a quintuple blast from the heads of the Zords into the Ammit Lightless' mouth, shutting it up and knocking it to the ground. However, as it did, the Megazord's arms fell limp, its eyes turning black.

"Now what?!" Madilyn asked.

"I, uh, I think we gave it too much power," Layla admitted, sweat-dropping. "Systems are down everywhere. We're just barely staying together."

"Uh, guys?" Dirk interrupted, pointing ahead at the Ammit Lightless as it was getting back to its feet. "I think we got trouble!"

"We should separate the Zords!" Patrick suggested.

"Negative, there's not even enough power for the individual Zords!" Layla responded.

"Jowar, we've got a problem!" Nikki called over the communicator.

* * *

Jowar made his way to a lift leading to the Magna Buster control station, Faye watching on as the call came in. "So I've noticed! I'm going to try to modify the Magna Buster to give the Megazord a power boost!"

"Will that even work?" Nikki demanded.

"In theory!" Jowar replied as the lift came down to the floor.

"Do you have to say that every time we do something potentially dangerous?!" Madilyn inquired.

Jowar rolled his eyes, stepping onto the lift and twisting the horn back on his staff. "Just have that Focus Crystal ready for it!"

"Will do!" Dirk shouted.

"**It's Morphin Time!**" Jowar declared, inserting his crystal into his staff as the lift took him up toward the control station. "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_"

A flash of yellow light later, and Jowar found himself morphed into the Wizard Ranger, just as he entered the control station. Pulling the Light Crystal from his staff and placing it in the charging chamber, the controls came to life, a panel opening for his staff.

"**Magna Buster, power up!**" Jowar called, inserting his staff into the control panel. The Magna Buster lifted itself out of the Ancient Library's roof, the Wizard Ranger aiming it at just the right trajectory for the beam to hit the Gaia Megazord, despite how much distance there existed between the two. Modifying the frequency of the blast, Jowar locked on, just as the Lightless looked ready to attack again.

"**Magna Buster, Rejuvenation Burst!**" Jowar yelled, unleashing a gigantic blast of golden light across the skies toward the Megazord.

* * *

"Here it comes!" Dirk shouted, plugging in the Focus Crystal. "Focus Crystal, power up!"

The Gaia Megazord began to glow bronze, just before the golden light collided with it. The brilliant flashes were too much for the Ammit Lightless, causing it to back off while covering its eyes. When the light finally faded, the Megazord was completely recharged, fists clenched as it prepared for battle.

"Alright, it worked!" Layla cheered, checking the power readouts. "Looks like we've got a bit of extra power to burn off!"

"Then let's show this monster what we REALLY think of it!" Nikki suggested, inserting the Kitsune Crystal. "Kitsune Zord, power up!"

"Turtle Zord, power up!" Layla exclaimed, plugging in the aquamarine crystal.

"Unicorn Zord, power up!" Patrick yelled, popping in the Unicorn Crystal. The three pulled the triggers on their blasters, sending pink, aquamarine, and silver rays of light out that summoned the three auxiliary Zords.

"Auxiliary Zords, attack!" Nikki shouted.

The Unicorn Zord nodded as it immediately shifted into the Unicorn Sword, which the Kitsune Zord grabbed hold of in its jaws. The Turtle Zord then spun into a wheel and shot through mid-air, the Kitsune Zord grabbing hold of it with its paws and riding it toward the Ammit Lightless as a wheel of fire, water, and light. The three Zords crashed into the monster hard, knocking it to the ground once again before the Kitsune Zord leaped up and tossed the other two weapons to the Megazord.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Shield and** **Sword!**_" the team called, readying the Unicorn Sword and the Turtle Shield. The monster got back up, unleashing another roar, but the Megazord blocked the sound waves with its shield, causing them to deflect off harmlessly.

"After a while, crocodile!" Dirk roared as the Megazord held its shield out, the projection of a full moon surrounding the robot. The Gaia Megazord then traced the tip of its sword around the edge of the moon's image, causing it to glow brightly as the power of all seven Zords flowed into it.

"_**Full Moon Break!**_" the Rangers shouted, slashing the Unicorn Sword across the Ammit Lightless hard and completely demolishing it in a giant explosion, its dark mist evaporating into the sky.

Darkea growled, watching the Megazord while hiding behind a tree. "Grr, guess I need to rethink my strategies. Next time, I take you ALL down."

* * *

Nikki grunted, helping to set up a table in North Market city. It was about an hour after the battle, and the team decided that it might be a good idea to go back and fix the place up after the brawl that had broken out earlier. Thankfully, nothing too valuable was broken, so it was just a matter of getting everything set back the way it was before.

"So, feeling any better?" Patrick asked, setting a box full of goods down on the table Nikki had just propped back up.

Nikki smiled a little. "Kinda? I don't know. I mean, I get that stuff happens in the field, and I get that I should spend less time beating myself up over what goes wrong and try to focus on doing things right..."

"...But?" Patrick inquired.

"...I just...I'm sorry," Nikki muttered, looking at Pat sadly.

Patrick sighed, taking his sunglasses off. "Nikki, what happened wasn't your fault."

"Well, even if it wasn't, I'm still sorry for what you lost," Nikki insisted. "Even if you CAN see through the wind or whatever-"

"Look, we can't see the future," Patrick interjected. "Maybe my eyesight will come back, maybe it won't. But honestly, either way, I can't say that I regret doing what I did to lose it, because the truth is, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. That's how much helping my friends means to me."

Nikki smirked. "...Even Madilyn?"

Patrick grinned, putting his sunglasses back on. "Even Mad."

"Yeah, I think I'm really getting how you feel," Nikki replied, suddenly taking note of a bit of a commotion among the people around. "...Huh. Wonder what's going on?"

"There's a stranger on the outskirts!" a nearby elven girl said. "That's what all the adults are saying!"

"...Stranger?" Patrick asked.

"Nikki, Patrick, you might wanna get to the town gates," the two heard Layla say over the communicators. "There's something here I think you should see."

Exchanging a quick glance, despite the lack of a need to on Patrick's part, the two hurried over to the gates where the others were helping to clean up. There, lying face down on the ground, was about the last thing Nikki expected to see: A human. They were wearing hiking gear and carrying a backpack full of supplies and some loose papers that were sticking out. Carefully, Dirk reached down and turned the person onto their back, revealing the face of an unconscious middle-aged man.

"Oh my gosh!" Madilyn gasped. "That's Professor Snyder! He's an expert on crystallography, and is one of the leading researchers on the possibility of multiple realities!"

"What's he doing here?" Nikki asked.

"Whoa," Dirk said, reading one of the papers that had fallen from the professor's backpack. "Check this out: '_Long ago, there existed a hidden realm called Gaia. It was the source of a great mystical energy tied to the natural elements of the world, like fire and water and wind. It was a safe haven for peace-seeking folk, be they humans, animals, or other forms of life. However, as the realm possessed mystical energies tied to all the natural elements, there existed one that fed off evil thoughts and, over time, tried to consume all others: The element of darkness. Fortunately, there existed a group of Guardians that protected Gaia from the dark, using a powerful silver light that caused the darkness to withdraw before it. No force of evil could match it. But when the time came for the final battle, the light vanished, and the Guardians similarly disappeared into the spreading dark_'."

At that moment, the entire team's hearts collectively skipped a beat. One by one, they all looked back to the unconscious professor, their eyes wide as saucers as they contemplated how he could possibly be here, how long had he been here, and what else could he possibly know about the world they were currently trapped in.

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** DUN-DUN-DUNNNNN! lol Yep, he's been missing since the mid-way point of Chapter 1, but Professor Charles Snyder is finally relevant to the plot. Actually, if you gathered anything from the ending of this chapter, his research has actually been relevant all along. That was the reason why those little blurbs of exposition stopped appearing at the beginning of chapters, as they were part of his research notes, which he had stopped writing just before the events of the story began. As for the fate of his son...well, I don't wanna spoil anyone, but let's just say that if you've been paying attention, you already know.

Regarding the smaller, Ranger-sized version of the Unicorn Zord. I always wanted to have the Rangers use smaller versions of the Megazord's weapons, but Nikki technically already had the bow, and the shield seemed kinda pointless on its own, so the sword was the obvious choice to go with, especially since Jowar can't always help them in the field. Thus, they're given a powerful light-elemental weapon to use.

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, Professor Snyder awakens and tells the group of his journeys, as Dirk decides to help locate his son, Drayden. But when the trail leads them into trouble, can the Rangers stand strong against it? And what is the ultimate fate of Drayden? Ja né!


	13. Indigo Nightmare Part 1

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

_"Drayden, something's happening!" Professor Snyder yelled as the cavern began to shake. "We have to get out of here!"_

_"I-I can't!" Drayden cried, unable to remove his hand from the Dragon statue. "I'm stuck!"_

_Charles looked on incredulously, but decided to try and grab Drayden's hand and pull it from the statue. Instead, however, a blast of indigo light shot out from the crystal embedded into it, along with a thick, black smog that came from the statue's jaws, knocking him back against the wall. He groaned as he tried to pull himself up, but his body was becoming enveloped in the light and smoke._

_"DAD!" Drayden yelled as the smog suddenly began to swirl around him too._

_"DRAYDEN!" the Professor cried, trying to reach a hand through the smog as his vision began to blur._

Charles gasped as he jolted up in his seat, panting a little after waking up from his nightmare. Only it wasn't just a nightmare, it was his reliving the events that led him to the strange new world he was now residing in. He reached up and wiped the sweat from his brow, just as Madilyn jogged over, checking on him.

"Professor?" she asked, concerned.

"It's alright," Professor Snyder replied. "Just a dream."

Madilyn smiled sadly. It was a couple of days since she and the others had found him collapsed at the entrance to North Market City, having gone days without much to eat or drink and pushed to the edge of exhaustion. They'd brought him back to the Ancient Library to help him recover, as well as learn about his journey to Gaia. In truth, most of it was a blur, just constantly trekking across the land in search of his son and hiding from Blots whenever they'd shown up. He'd been extremely lucky to survive for as long as he had on his own.

"Still can't believe I'm really here," Charles sighed. "Gaia...I was right. It really DID exist, all along."

"I must say, I'm impressed by your studies of this world," Jowar noted, sitting at the table with Nikki as the two looked over Professor Snyder's notes. "You've gathered an abundance of information on Gaia, the Guardians, the Gaia Zords, the war..."

"I still can't get over the fact that you and your son were brought here on the exact same day as us," Nikki said, looking amazed. "I mean, what are the odds?"

Snyder nodded. "I know. I wonder if it has anything to do with the crystal we found in the cave."

"You said it was an indigo crystal that was embedded in a statue of a dragon, right?" Madilyn asked as Layla, Dirk, and Patrick entered the room, fresh from training.

"That sounds like the sixth Guardian's crystal to me," Dirk suggested, having a seat and wiping the sweat off his face. "And you're sure you don't have it?"

Professor Snyder nodded. "Positive."

"OH!" Layla exclaimed, springing up a couple of feet. "Of course! If Professor Snyder doesn't have it, then that must mean that his son does, which means-!"

"Drayden's the sixth Guardian!" Patrick finished, face-palming hard. "Gah, why didn't I realize that sooner?!"

"Well, that makes finding the crystal easier," Nikki said with a smile. "We just need to find Drayden, and then we're rolling in puppies."

"Yes, but, HOW do we find him?" Charles inquired. "I searched all around the area where I first arrived in Gaia, and there was no sign of him. And I doubt he arrived in the forest you appeared in, or you would've seen him. That means he could be anywhere."

"Yeah, but there IS one advantage we've got," Dirk replied with smirk. "Since he's one of only seven humans in all of Gaia, all we've gotta do is ask around some of the towns and see if anyone's seen a human that's not one of us. Heck, if you can provide us with his physical description, that'll make it even easier."

"Okay then, we'll split up into teams of two and check some of the major cities and towns," Nikki declared. "Everybody stays in contact and calls the rest if they find anything."

"I'll go with Professor Snyder," Dirk offered almost immediately.

Nikki blinked, a little surprised. "...Alright then, you two can check out the night elf village. Madilyn, you and Patrick go to Wescentral City. And I guess Layla and I should check the undersea kingdom, just to be sure whether we can cross it off or not."

"And I'll remain here to keep a close monitor on things, in case Walker or Darkea decide to cause trouble in your absence," Jowar added. "Frankly, the reduced attacks as of late have me worried..."

* * *

Walker observed the chemicals he was currently mixing carefully, watching as they brewed, bubbled, and changed colours. Eventually, they became ebony in colour, the Shadowmancer grinning as he fed them from their vials into several glass beakers.

"Brewing up more Ebony Venom?" Darkea asked as she entered the Dark Chamber, Sphantis right behind her.

"Tch," Walker clicked in irritation. "Back so soon, huh? And yes, I'm making more. I need to convert as many Blots into Venom Blots as I can."

"Trying to earn a degree in chemistry?" Darkea joked, getting a grave look from her brother. "...What?"

"I received a letter, direct from the Dark Throne," Walker muttered.

"...Uh oh," Darkea said with a gulp. "He's not-"

"No, he's not coming, at least not yet," Walker replied, earning a sigh of relief. "However, there have been reports from several dark zones of Blots being cut down. Even Giant Blots are being torn apart like paper."

"Can't be the Rangers, they've barely stepped foot out of their library since they found that old man outside the North Market City," Darkea noted.

"Right, meaning it must be the one we've been expecting to show their face for some time now," Walker explained, going back to his work. "But there's something about the brutal nature of their attacks, as well as some information your father shared in his letter, that has me concerned. We may need a sizable force of Venom Blots to deal with them, seeing as how standard Blots do little more than get in this person's way."

"Right, right," Darkea uttered. "Anything you'd like me to do in the meantime?"

"...Yes," Walker said after thinking for a moment. "The Rangers left the Ancient Library about fifteen minutes ago, along with the old man they found. Word around Gaia is that he's some sort of researcher from Earth who spent several years studying our world. I want you to take Sphantis and a Lightless I created earlier. Track this professor down, and bring him back here, ALIVE."

"Any particular reason why?" Darkea asked as Sphantis prepared to leave again.

"I want to know what he knows, specifically if he has any information on the Guardians of Gaia that we aren't already aware of," Walker explained. "Speaking of whom, if they get in your way, get them out of the way, but try not to destroy ALL of them if you can help it. If my suspicions about the last Guardian is correct, they may be useful later on."

Darkea blinked in confusion. "...O...kay, whatever you say, brother."

With that, Darkea and Sphantis headed for the testing room where Walker did his most horrific work, and where the new Lightless was most likely waiting, while Walker went back to his work. _To think that I'd actually SAY something like that and mean it, but if Lord Dradarius' letter was correct, we're ALL in extreme danger..._

* * *

Nikki let out a sigh, leaving the undersea kingdom's castle to join Layla outside. The two had morphed to be able to breathe underwater, thanks to a special Air Crystal that Jowar had given them to create an endless supply of oxygen under their helmets, thus allowing them to visit the kingdom and ask around for information.

"No luck," Nikki said, approaching Layla. "No one's seen Drayden."

"Uh huh..." Layla replied, sounding somewhat distant.

"We should probably try Mt. Titanium," Nikki suggested. "The dwarves might've at least heard rumours or something, and it's not out of the question that he might've taken shelter in one of their caves."

"Uh huh..." Layla said again, Nikki realizing that she was clearly not paying attention. Looking ahead, she saw why, as a group of mermaids with long, beautiful hair and shimmering tails were swimming about gracefully.

"...Y'know, you HAVE a girlfriend on LAND," Nikki noted, smacking the Blue Ranger on the shoulder.

"Hey, we're both allowed to look!" Layla argued. "And really, Nikki, just LOOK at them!"

Nikki rolled her eyes. "...Well, they're not exactly my type, if you know what I mean, but...yeah, I guess they are kinda hot. Now, let's get to Mt. Titanium. Who knows what could happen to the oxygen in your helmet if you start drooling in it."

Layla sighed, shoulders slumped. "Alright...would SO be worth it, though..."

* * *

Madilyn moaned, plomping her butt on the grass in the middle of Wescentral City Park. "Ugh, can we please rest now? I'm SOOOO tired...!"

"You just had a break a half an hour ago," Patrick replied, hands on his hips. "C'mon, we gotta keep asking people!"

"But we've been all over the city," Madilyn whined, "and there's still not a single person who's seen, heard of, and knows anything about Drayden!"

Patrick groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, it IS kinda looking a little futile, but we can't leave until we know for sure he hasn't been through this area. I mean, what if it was Layla that was missing? Wouldn't you be dragging everyone else around the entire planet looking for her?"

Madilyn growled pulling herself back up. "Argh, FINE...Did you HAVE to play the Layla card, though?"

"Tell you what, if my parents ever have another kid, you can play that card all you like," Patrick reasoned.

"Yeah...if we ever get back," Madilyn sighed. "I was hoping when Professor Snyder appeared that he'd know a way to get us home."

Patrick smirked cockily. "...First out of breath, now acting all depressed? Yer not another Doppelganger in disguise, are you?"

Madilyn giggled in spite of herself. "You'll never know until it's too late, Mr. O'Donnell."

* * *

"Okay, THAT family didn't know anything," Dirk uttered, walking out of the hut with Professor Snyder as the saddened old man followed. "...Don't worry, though. We'll find him."

Charles nodded. "...Dirk, if could ask? Why are you accompanying me, instead of searching with one of the others?"

Dirk sighed and shrugged. "I dunno...I guess I just know how you feel. Well, I mean, not exactly like this, but I know what it's like to have missing family."

"I recall Nikki mentioning your family on Earth," Snyder noted. "It must be hard, being away from them."

"Yeah, but it's more than that," Dirk replied, walking along to the next hut. "One time when I was still a teenager, my little brother Travis got lost in the woods near our farm, and it's a pretty huge forest out there. Didn't exactly help that it was bear hunting season, either."

"Oh my..." Snyder gasped, following after Dirk. "When did you find him?"

"After almost two days, we found him curled up under a fallen tree," Dirk answered. "At first, Mom thought he was dead, but it turned out that when he couldn't figure out which way was home, he dug under the tree and played dead, so the bears wouldn't eat him and the hunters wouldn't shoot him."

"Clever boy," Charles commented.

"Yeah..." Dirk sighed, digging out a photo of his family from his pocket. "I sure miss them."

"Aww, poor baby!"

Dirk snapped back to attention, looking ahead at the source of the voice taunting him. Sure enough, just a few yards ahead and past the night elf village's defensive shield, were Darkea, Sphantis, a few dozen Blots, and a Lightless resembling a black, bipedal griffon with eggplant-coloured eyes and a second head on its chest. Dirk reflexively put an arm out in front of Professor Snyder, keeping himself between him and the enemy, all the while the night elves out and about fled back into their homes.

"One of them?" Snyder asked nervously.

"Afraid so," Dirk growled, putting his photo away. "What do you want, Darkea?"

"Just to invite the professor over there to a little get-together with Walker," Darkea replied, pointing over Dirk's shoulder. "Oh, don't worry, we don't plan on hurting him, provided he gives us the information we want."

"No come, we take!" Sphantis added, sharpening the scythe-blades on his arms together.

"I'd like to see you try from behind that force field!" Dirk taunted. "It was erected to keep any and all Blots, Lightless, or Shadowmancers out!"

"True, but not the air itself, otherwise the people inside would suffocate," Darkea said with an evil grin. "And my new friend over here, the Griffon Lightless, can manipulate the wind. Griffon, if you'd like to demonstrate?"

The Griffon Lightless growled, beating its wings hard. Sure enough, within moments, a strong gust of wind hit Dirk and the professor from behind, knocking them to the ground and dragging Snyder across it toward the enemies.

"...Yeah, that figures," Dirk groaned, pulling his crystal free. "**It's Morphin Time!**"

Dragging himself off the ground, Dirk drew his Crystal Blast Morpher and placed the Behemoth Crystal inside. Running at the Blots, he raised his blaster up, pulled the trigger, and shouted, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The orange beam shot out, ricocheting off a pair of Blots, before doubling back and morphing him into the Orange Ranger.

"**Quake Ax!**" Dirk roared, leaping into the air over Professor Snyder and drawing his ax. He then passed through the force field and slammed his ax into the Griffon Lightless' lower beak, causing it to back off and and cease its wind control, stopping Snyder on the other side of the field.

"Guys, trouble at the night elf village!" Dirk yelled into his communicator.

"Like not believe!" Sphantis growled, swiping his scythes at Dirk, who just barely managed to block with his ax. However, this left him open to a barrage of claw shot from the Blots, causing him to fall back. Just as he got up, the Griffon Lightless opened both of its beaks, sending a pair of energy orbs at the Orange Ranger, hitting him hard and knocking him backward, crashing next to Professor Snyder.

"Once more, Griffon!" Darkea ordered. "This time, bring him here!"

The Griffon Lightless nodded with the head atop its shoulders, beating its wings as the wind dragged Snyder toward them again. However, just before he could pass through the shield, Dirk managed to reach a hand over and grab hold of his coat. He then clutched his ax in the other and slammed it down into the earth, keeping them grounded.

"My, you ARE protective of him," Darkea noted. "He MUST be valuable, then."

Dirk grit his teeth, looking defiantly at the Shadowmancer. "He's a father looking for his son, and I won't let you do anything to stop him...!"

Darkea's eyes widened as she looked rather stunned. "...A-A father...looking after their child..."

Just as Darkea began to absorb this information, the Blots flanking her were blasted hard as the other Gaia Rangers finally arrived, all morphed and ready for action. The Griffon Lightless quickly turned its attention to them, beating its wings to send black gusts of wind at the team, pushing them back.

"Oh man, talk about a windbag!" Madilyn cried, trying to dig into the ground with her Gaia Saber.

"With two blowholes to boot!" Layla added, barely keeping from flying backward.

"Patrick, counter its wind with your own!" Nikki ordered, desperately trying to stand firm again the wind.

"I-I can't!" Pat stammered, feeling the images in his head get fuzzy and darkened until they vanished altogether. "Its wind's messing with the air! I-I can't see!"

Hearing this, and realizing the monster's wind was focused away from him, Dirk released his ax and Charles' coat, drawing his Gaia Saber. He then inserted the Root Crystal inside and stabbed the blade into the ground, sending vines up around the Griffon Lightless' wings that kept them still. The others fell to their knees as the wind stopped, save for Nikki, who immediately pressed her buckle, summoning the Bronzooka in a flash.

"Thanks, Dirk, but now it's my turn!" Nikki yelled, inserting the Focus and Phoenix Crystals into the bazooka as the scope slid out. "Locked on! **Bronzooka, FIRE!**"

Pulling the trigger, Nikki launched an effigy of the Phoenix Zord out of the Bronzooka, which shot out at the monster. However, the Griffon Lightless managed to open both beaks, releasing twin energy orbs that collided with the Red Ranger's attack. The opposing blasts cancelled each other out in a shockwave that knocked both down to the ground.

"Sphantis SMASH!" Sphantis roared, ready to attack before Darkea put a hand to his shoulder.

"Forget it, it's a standoff," Darkea muttered. "Fall back for now...but this isn't over, Rangers!"

With that, Darkea slashed her sickle through the air, seemingly cutting open a portal. It quickly sucked herself, Sphantis, the Griffon Lightless, and the Blots inside before closing. Dirk sighed in relief, Professor Snyder getting back to his feet before helping the Orange Ranger do the same.

"Clearly, my research didn't capture how...interesting life can be here," Charles noted.

"That's one word for it," Dirk scoffed, giving the professor a tired thumbs up.

* * *

"I'm going to assume that you simply didn't hear me correctly when I said to bring the Professor HERE?!" Walker yelled, clearly in a bad mood. "You know, as opposed to letting the Rangers take him back to the library?!"

Darkea rolled her eyes. "Relax, brother. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Oh, well, I suppose you've got some sort of 'foolproof plan' to bring him back out of hiding, is that it?" Walker demanded. "Let me guess, something along the lines of threatening to have my new Lightless blow up a city if they don't give him up!"

"...Pretty much," Darkea replied, shrugging.

"And you aren't at all worried that the Rangers might decide to just destroy the Griffon Lightless instead?" Walker inquired.

Darkea smirked. "Well, that's just the thing: Your new Lightless has proven to not only have enough firepower to match their ever-so-spectacular Bronzooka, but his manipulation of the wind had a unique little side-effect on the Green Ranger. He's pretty much useless at this point, and with just four Rangers to defend the city, they'll either hand the old man over or let the city and its people be destroyed, and you KNOW the choice they'll make under those circumstances."

* * *

Jowar stroked his beard, thinking the situation over as the others all took seats around the main chamber of the Ancient Library, the Rangers having removed their helmets. "This could be a serious problem. If that monster returns again..."

"I don't get why the Shadowmancers want Professor Snyder," Madilyn said, resting her head on the table. "I know he has valuable information from his studies, but anything THEY would care about?"

"Whatever the reason, Jowar's right," Patrick noted with a frown. "That monster completely blocked out my ability to sense things through the air. If it attacks again, I'll only have my previous blindfold training to fall back on. I don't think I'll be able to put up a decent fight with just that, let alone pilot a Zord."

"Jowar can pilot the Hippogriff Zord if it comes to that," Nikki replied. "It's the battle on the ground I'm more worried about..."

Layla folded her arms. "Hmm...Well, there MIGHT be one way to get the better of it. Thing is, there's a few things that could go wrong. It'd need just the right timing in execution."

Before Layla could elaborate further, the alarm went off. The group formed up around the Viewing Globe as it zoomed in on a hill just outside Esthaorn City, where Darkea, Sphantis, the Griffon Lightless, and a small army of Blots awaited. Darkea drew her sickle, grinning evilly, before looking to the sky.

"I know you're watching, Rangers!" the Shadowmancer shouted. "Bring the professor, or I destroy that city and everyone inside of it! You've got ten minutes to decide!"

Snyder sighed, putting a hand to Jowar's shoulder. "I'll go. I'm not worth that many lives."

"No," Dirk said, shaking his head. "There's no guarantee they won't level the city anyway."

"Unfortunately, Dirk's right," Nikki commented before glancing to Layla. "Wanna talk about that plan now?"

Layla gulped. "...Well, guess we'll need some luck on this one, too."

Patrick grinned confidently before he and the team put their helmets back on. "Don't worry. That monster can take away my sight, but he can never take away the Luck of the Irish."

* * *

Darkea tapped her foot, trying her best to wait patiently as the ten minutes ticked down to a close. Just as she was about to call for the attack anyway, though, the Rangers teleported down in front of her group, though noticeably sans the professor...just as she suspected they would be.

"So, decided to just have it your own way, huh?" Darkea asked with a smirk.

"You're crazy if you think we're gonna trust you to keep your word, Darkea!" Madilyn yelled.

Darkea shrugged. "Your call. Griffon!"

The Griffon Lightless roared, beating its wings hard and sending a massive black gust at the team, nearly knocking them off their feet. Dirk went for his Root Crystal, but it was knocked out of his hand by a well-placed claw shot from one of Darkea's Blots.

"Please, did you really think I'd let you try THAT trick again?!" Darkea asked with a giggle, sauntering toward the team as the wind blew harder. The team was having to use their Gaia Sabers to dig in, save for Patrick, who was desperately trying to dig his fists and feet into the ground.

"Aw, poor Patrick, can't even reach his Gaia Saber," Darkea mocked, pulling her sickle. "Y'know, after the number of battles we've had, destroying you like this feels anti-climactic...but I'll live with it!"

"PATRICK!" Nikki screamed, just as Darkea swung her sickle straight down through Patrick...only for him to appear unharmed, and then completely vanish. "DO IT!"

"What?!" Darkea demanded before her eyes widened, spinning around to face her group, just in time to see the Green Ranger leaping up over the Griffon Lightless.

"**Unicorn Sword!**" Patrick called as he raised the weapon straight up, his Gaia Saber aimed low. "**Double-mental Cross!**"

Before the Griffon Lightless could aim a gust at him, Patrick fell toward it, bringing his blades across in a vertical cross-slash. The combined wind and light slashes collided harshly with the monster, sending it tumbling all the way down the hill. With that taken care of, the Green Ranger quickly went to work defending himself from the couple dozen Blots that immediately attacked him, cutting them down one by one.

"Why, you sneaky-!" Darkea started to say as she turned to face the other Rangers, just in time to receive a Heat Arrow to the breastplate from Nikki, knocking her away.

"Dirk, go help Patrick!" Nikki ordered. "We'll finish off the Doduo wannabe!"

Dirk nodded, running up the hill to join Patrick while the girls ran down it, right as the Griffon Lightless got back up. Just as it was about to beat its wings for another gust, Madilyn immediately called out her Lightning Daggers, slashing both wings hard and sending electricity through them that paralyzed them.

"Let's finish it off!" Nikki commanded, readying an arrow. "**Heat Bow!**"

"**Flood Launcher!**" Layla called, bringing out her cannon.

"**Bronzooka!**" Madilyn yelled, summoning and loading the bazooka.

"_**FIRE!**_" the three girls shouted, firing their weapons at the Griffon Lightless. It tried to counter with twin energy orbs fired from its two heads, but the combined blasts from all three weapons were two much for it as it was quickly overwhelmed and destroyed in a large explosion, dark mist rising from the spot where its body once stood.

Meanwhile, up the hill, Dirk and Patrick had cleared out the Blots, leaving them to face Sphantis and Darkea alone. Darkea screamed in rage as she swung her sickle, only to have it blocked by Patrick's two swords, all while Dirk fought off Sphantis with his ax.

"Should've guessed you'd try using the Illusion Crystal!" Darkea hissed.

"Yeah, 'cuz WE'RE the cowardly ones, Miss Holds-A-City-Ransom!" Patrick mocked before kicking the Shadowmancer in the gut, causing her to back off.

"Grr!" Darkea growled. "WALKER! ANYTIME NOW!"

* * *

Walker groaned, watching events unfold through the fireplace. "Tch, even when it's not MY plan, I STILL have to make the saving plays! Dark Staff of the Wyvern, make my Lightless grow!"

The Shadowmancer hoisted his staff up over the fireplace, the wyvern head atop the staff opening its jaws and releasing a black smog into the fire, causing it to grow larger. Walker watched the image in the flames as the black smog hovering in the sky was fed dark flames, reforming into a giant-sized version of the Griffon Lightless.

"Sphantis grow!" Walker heard Sphantis roar. "Sphantis CRUSH!"

"If you insist!" Walker yelled, releasing another cloud of thick smog into the fire. Doing so, however, drained him enough that he fell to a knee, but he watched on as dark flames were fed into Sphantis' body, causing him to become a giant as well.

* * *

"Looks like we've got double the trouble!" Dirk observed as the team regrouped.

"Jowar, stand by if I need you!" Patrick called into his communicator.

"Understood!" Jowar replied.

"Okay, let's do it!" Nikki shouted, the team raising their crystal-loaded Gaia Sabers to the sky. "**We need Gaia Zord power, now!**"

The Gaia Sabers shot out multicoloured beams that, within moments, summoned the Phoenix, Hippogriff, Leviathan, Behemoth, and Thunderbird Gaia Zords to the team's location. The Rangers teleported up into the cockpits, Nikki, Layla, and Patrick immediately summoning the Kitsune, Turtle, and Unicorn Zords. With all eight Zords assembled, they grouped into two teams of four. The Phoenix, Kitsune, Leviathan, and Thunderbird Zords opened fire on Sphantis, knocking him back, while the Hippogriff, Unicorn, Turtle, and Behemoth Zords all tackled the Griffon Lightless, sending it tumbling across the ground.

"Nice shot, everyone!" Nikki commented.

"Look out, they're getting back up!" Layla yelled, just as the two monsters got back to their feet. Sphantis' scythes glowed with energy as he swung them, blasting the Zords on the land hard, while the Griffon Lightless beat its wings, blowing back all the airborne Zords with a black gust of wind.

"GAH!" Patrick cried, feeling the images in his head darken.

"Patrick, we need to switch!" Jowar advised.

"Wait...I can do this...!" Patrick insisted. "Unicorn Zord, use your light...to peel back the darkness!"

The Unicorn Zord whinnied, getting back to its feet as its horn released a flash of light. The light created an effigy of a silver moon that shined even more light down on the field of battle, piercing through the black wind and returning it to the normal transparent wind, harsh as it was.

"That's better!" Patrick commented, getting his vision back. "Now let's wipe the floor with these guys!"

"_**Right!**_" the others called, removing their crystals from the Gaia Sabers before calling forth and inserting the Unity Crystals. "_**Gaia Zords, combine!**_"

The main five Gaia Zords immediately formed up, Behemoth Zord shifting its body around to form the torso of the Megazord. The Leviathan Zord latched onto the Behemoth Zord, becoming the hip, legs, and feet. The Phoenix and Thunderbird Zords curled their wings and talons in, forming the right and left arms and hands. The Hippogriff Zord landed on the back, spread its wings out, and rested its head atop the robot, its beak opening to form the head. Lastly, the Unicorn Zord shifted its body around to form a hilt in the Megazord's right hand, a beam of light erupting around its horn as it extended into a long blade. The five Rangers and their cockpits slid back to the head, becoming one large cockpit.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Unicorn Sword!**_" the five Rangers shouted. The two monsters ran at the giant robot, but were knocked aside by a pair of slashes from the sword. The Griffon Lightless quickly got back to its feet, releasing a pair of energy orbs from its two beaks that blasted the Megazord hard, sending it crashing to the ground. The Kitsune and Turtle Zords rushed in, but were slammed by a pair of scythe swipes from Sphantis.

"We need more power!" Nikki yelled. "Dirk, power up the Focus Crystal!"

"You got it!" Dirk replied, plugging in said crystal. "I'm gonna show these guys what it means to mess with us!"

The Gaia Megazord shimmered with bronze light as it got back to its feet. Seeing this, the Kitsune Zord leaped up, twisting its body into a long bow. It fell towards the giant robot, which caught it in its left hand.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Bow and** **Sword!**_" the team called, setting the Unicorn Sword as a makeshift arrow for the Kitsune Bow. The Griffon Lightless charged up another pair of orbs to fire as a silver, shimmering flame engulfed the Unicorn Sword, the Megazord taking aim.

"_**Silver Arrow!**_" the Rangers shouted, the Megazord releasing the Unicorn Sword. It sailed straight through the Griffon Lightless' energy orbs before piercing the lower head, causing it to roar in pain before falling backward, its body exploding into black mist that evaporated into the sky.

"You're next, Sphantis!" Nikki yelled, the Kitsune Bow switching to its crossbow form as it was swapped to the right hand, the Turtle Shield loaded onto it.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Shield and** **Bow!**_" the team roared as the Turtle Shield flashed the seven colours of the seven Zords currently in formation. "_******Heptagon Blast!**_"

"SPHANTIS DESTR-ARGHHH!" Sphantis roared as he was about to attack, only for a flash of indigo light to suddenly come out of nowhere and cleave straight through his left scythe, cutting it clean off as dark mist poured from the wound. The Megazord fired the Turtle Shield, which erected a heptagonal shield of light around itself, but before it could make contact, Sphantis fell to the ground and shrunk back to normal size, the attack missing.

"What happened?!" Nikki demanded.

"H-He shrunk back down after that blow!" Layla answered.

"Yeah, but WHAT HAPPENED?!" Patrick inquired. "That couldn't have been one of ours, was it?! It seemed so...dark!"

"Guys, down there!" Madilyn shouted, pointing at a hill just a little ways southeast of their position. Standing atop it was a figure in a black hooded cloak, resting a large black and indigo sword on their shoulder. Their glance seemed fixed on the Megazord.

"Who or what is that?!" Patrick asked.

"And how did he lop off Sphantis' scythe with one blow?!" Dirk added.

"More importantly, whose side is he on?" Nikki wondered aloud. "I mean, he's wearing black and used darkness, but he just attacked Sphantis...right?"

"Maybe this is who we've been waiting on!" Madilyn suggested. "The last Guardian of Gaia!"

Nikki blinked, watching the figure as it watched them back. "...The Guardian of Darkness...?"

* * *

Darkea groaned, limping into the Dark Chamber. "Grr...Before you say anything, I had the situation completely under-"

"That doesn't matter now!" Walker shouted, looking petrified. "...They've arrived...!"

Darkea blinked, making her way over to the fireplace, her eyes widening at the scene. "...What in the world?! Did he do THAT to Sphantis?!"

"With one slash," Walker replied gravely. "I think we have a serious problem..."

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ ...Nope, not wasting any time, though I would like to note the Megazord battle in this chapter was a tribute to the first episode of Power Rangers I ever saw, A Pressing Engagement. Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, the Guardian of Darkness has finally arrived, but whose side is he on? Does he even have a side? And when it becomes clear he's not on the Rangers', can they even bring themselves to fight him as the truth of his identity is revealed? Find out as the Indigo Nightmare Saga unfolds! Ja né!


	14. Indigo Nightmare Part 2

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Nikki and the other Rangers watched on from the Gaia Megazord's cockpit as the dark cloaked stranger with the massive black and indigo blade resting on his shoulder walked down the hill toward Sphantis. He'd already severed one of the sphinx/mantis hybrid's scythes from his left wrist, and judging from his body language, the apparent Guardian of Darkness looked ready to finish the job.

"C'mon, we should get down there, in case Walker tries jumping him with Blots or something!" Patrick yelled, breaking everyone out of their stunned state.

"R-Right, let's go!" Nikki replied, the team pulling their weapons from the cockpit controls and teleporting down to the ground, their Zords taking their leave back to their hiding places. Once down to the stranger's level, they could see amber eyes peering out from under his hood, his gaze fixed on Sphantis as Walker's minion got to his feet.

"Look at his eyes," Dirk whispered. "There's something not right about them."

Sphantis roared as the stranger neared, running at him with his one good scythe as it glowed with energy. He swung it hard for the dark figure, who simply held his sword out to stop the attack. The resulting shockwave should've knocked him to the ground, but instead, it only blew his hood down, revealing a young man about the same age as Nikki and Layla, with short brown hair that had a single indigo streak down the left side.

"It's him!" Madilyn yelled, digging out the photo given to them by Professor Snyder earlier of a boy with similar features, only with blue eyes and no streak in his hair. "It's Drayden! He really IS the last Guardian of Gaia!"

The team looked on as Drayden calmly flipped an emblem on the hilt of his blade, resembling a dragon's eye, off to the side, revealing a compartment for not one but three crystals. He inserted an indigo crystal and flipped the compartment shut, causing his blade to glow with indigo light as a dragon's roar could be heard. He didn't even slash with the sword, just shoved it hard against Sphantis' scythe, knocking the monster to the ground.

"If I were you, I'd leave before I make them both match," Drayden muttered, gesturing to the place where Sphantis' other scythe once protruded from his left wrist.

"Sphantis crush you next time!" Sphantis growled, backing off as a portal formed behind him, disappearing from the area.

Drayden scoffed. "...Coward."

"Drayden?" the Guardian of Darkness heard the Red Ranger call as the team approached him, albeit cautiously. "You ARE Drayden, right? Your father, Professor Snyder, he asked us to find you."

Drayden tilted his head curiously. "My father?"

Nikki nodded, reaching up to pull her helmet off, looking Drayden eye to eye. "My name's Nikki. We're Power Rangers, and the new Guardians of Gaia."

"I know," Drayden replied. "I could sense your energy for some time now, especially within the past few days. You've become quite strong, and gathered a number of Gaian Crystals."

"...Yeah?" Dirk asked, a little on edge. "So?"

"I've managed to collect a few myself," Drayden responded, pulling out a white crystal and a black crystal from his pocket. At the sight of them, the team could hear the howl of a wolf and the roar of a lion.

"Three new Gaia Zords?" Layla asked. "Wow, that brings the total up to 11!"

"Yes, which begs a simple question," Drayden noted, pocketing the crystals.

Nikki blinked, confused. "What's that?"

Drayden smirked slowly before muttering "...Which of us do you think can handle all of the crystals?"

Before Nikki could ask further, Drayden swung his blade hard, knocking the team back and carving a deep line in the ground before them. Nikki winced as she and the others got back to their feet, grabbing her helmet, but as they looked to where Drayden had been standing, he was long gone, black smoke rising from the line he'd sliced across the ground.

"...Okay, what just happened?" Madilyn inquired, completely baffled.

"If I had to guess, I'd say that was a declaration of war," Patrick replied. "But why?"

* * *

"Well, I suppose this looks regenerable," Walker said, observing Sphantis' left wrist as the latter took a seat in the Dark Chamber.

"Uh, Walker?" Darkea asked, still watching the scene in the fireplace. "He's gone. He attacked the Rangers, and just disappeared."

"Disappeared where?" Walker inquired.

Suddenly, as if in answer, the Dark Chamber walls shook hard, dust and dirt falling from the roof. Next, the whole chamber shook, knocking Darkea off her feet. Finally, the door was slammed clean off its hinges and hurled against the far wall, breaking into a few dozen pieces. The shaking stopped as Drayden entered through the doorway, observing the chamber, Walker scowling at the intruder.

"You dare enter my domain?!" Walker demanded, readying his staff.

Drayden scoffed. "Oh, sorry about the door, but someone went and locked it. And anyway, it's not YOUR domain anymore: I'm going to be running this show from now on."

"If you think you can come in here an-" Walker started to say until Drayden's sword was suddenly mere millimetres from the Shadowmancer's neck.

"This isn't a negotiation," Drayden said calmly, despite the murderous intent in his eyes. "I'm taking over this operation. You fall in line, and you'll reap the benefits of my destroying the Power Rangers. But any one of you so much as budges a little bit in my way, I take you all down. Is that clear?"

Walker's eyes narrowed in anger, but nonetheless muttered, "...Sounds acceptable."

"Good," Drayden replied with a grin. "Now, tell me about this Ebony Venom you've been brewing..."

* * *

"Found it!" Jowar announced, breaking the silence in the main chamber of the Ancient Library. The Rangers, who had been sitting around demorphed trying to grasp what had happened, and Professor Snyder, who seemed mostly depressed by the matter, practically charged the table Jowar was sitting at.

"Well?!" Nikki asked.

Jowar placed the book he was reading down on the table, showing an illustration of a man with amber eyes. "His name is Dargoon. He was a powerful Shadowmancer that battled the original Guardians of Gaia, and he's someone that Dradarius has spent a lot of time and effort into erasing the existence of."

"Why?" Layla inquired. "Weren't they working together?"

"Dargoon WAS a Shadowmancer operating under Dradarius," Jowar explained, "but, according to this, he was also notorious for being difficult to control, what with having his own agendas for how to deal with the Guardians of Gaia, and far greater power than any other Shadowmancer in Dradarius' army. His last recorded outing was a battle with the Guardian of Darkness, a battle that was unauthorized by Dradarius, after which he was supposedly destroyed...and shortly thereafter, the Guardian of Darkness was destroyed as well."

"You think he's possessing Drayden?" Charles Snyder asked.

"I'm afraid so," Jowar replied. "It seems he's placed a curse of sorts on the indigo crystal, and has merged his personality with Drayden's. Which presents a problem, as the records suggest that Dargoon possessed control over the shadows far greater than Walker and Darkea put together."

"Oh good, because we were having SUCH an easy time with those two," Dirk noted sarcastically.

Layla's face paled a little. "Oh man...You don't think that's why the original Guardian of Darkness...?"

Jowar looked away sadly. "There's nothing definite, but if I had to guess, either the other Guardians were forced to destroy him, or he realized what was happening to him and..."

Nikki's eye twitched at this information. "...No. We're finding a way to save him. We've gotta free him from Dargoon's control."

"The Unicorn Zord," Patrick said. "It has the power to peel away darkness. We could use Layla's miniature Unicorn Sword."

"That would still mean fighting him, though," Madilyn countered.

"I got that, but it might be the only way to save him," Patrick replied. "I mean, I know if it was me, I'd want you guys to do it."

"Patrick, if it was you, I'd be more worried for US," Dirk snarked.

Patrick grinned, ready to retort, when the alarm suddenly went off, diverting everyone's attention to the Viewing Globe. Upon inspecting it, they were shocked as the globe zoomed in to show Drayden, along with a pack of about forty Venom Blots or more, marching straight through the Everbright Forest toward the Ancient Library.

"...He's coming right for us?!" Nikki exclaimed, looking to Jowar. "Doesn't he know that you have full access to your powers in the forest?!"

"And what's he hanging with Blots for?!" Dirk demanded. "I thought they weren't on the same side after he attacked Sphantis!"

"Well, he's supposed to be even stronger than Walker or Darkea, so maybe he stole them or something?" Madilyn guessed.

The old wizard stroked his beard, looking utterly confused. "Something about this isn't right, but we can't risk not engaging a force that size without our full ranks intact."

Nikki nodded, preparing to lead the others out, only to feel Professor Snyder's hand on her shoulder. "...Please. Please save my son. He's the most important part of my life."

Nikki gave a small but warm smile to the professor. "I promise, we'll do everything we can."

Charles nodded, and so the others all headed out of the main chamber toward the front door of the library. The middle-aged man pulled up a chair, watching the Viewing Globe as his son came closer to the centre of the forest. He couldn't shake feeling helpless, only able to sit and watch and pray that the Power Rangers could somehow save Drayden.

"Oh, Drayden," Charles uttered sadly. "Why did you have to have your old man's sense of curiosity?"

* * *

Drayden smirked as he laid eyes on the Ancient Library, exiting from the shelter of the trees with his army of Venom Blots. It seemed to possess even more luster than he'd anticipated, something he planned to deal with in due time. Upon arriving, the front door opened, the Guardians and their wizard running out to confront him.

"Come to meet me at the door?" Drayden asked, his face putting up a friendly smile. "That's pretty nice of you. But where's my dad? Doesn't he wanna say hi?"

"Cut the act!" Nikki yelled. "We know who and what you are, Dargoon! Let Drayden go and get outta here while you still can!"

Drayden/Dargoon's head lowered, at first looking hurt, but then started to laugh. "My my, it looks like there were records of me left over after all! And here I thought Lord Dradarius had actually managed to erase me from the record books. Guess I should've known he couldn't do his job right without me."

"Enough!" Jowar shouted. "Go back to the shadows, Dargoon, and leave the boy with his father!"

Dargoon smirked, holding up the indigo crystal. "Sorry, can't. See, the infection I left on the Dragon Crystal has now spread to Drayden here, and as such, our minds are one. Even if I had ANY desire to remove myself from him, which I don't, it would be impossible for me to do."

"Then we'll have to do it ourselves!" Nikki retorted, grabbing her Crystal Blast Morpher. "**It's Morphin Time!**"

At this command, the four members of the team at her sides pulled their crystals free of their chains and placed the crystals inside their Crystal Blast Morphers. Jowar, on the far side of the group away from her, twisted the unicorn horn at the end of his staff back, pulled the Light Crystal from his pocket, and inserted it into the hidden compartment. Raising their weapons up to the sky, the group cried out, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" Nikki and the other blaster-toting teammates pulled their triggers, five rainbow coloured blasts shooting out and spiraling around in the air above as yellow rays shot out from Jowar's staff. The gorgeous array of lights eventually coated the team with their energy, morphing them into the Gaia Rangers.

"Guardian of Fire!" Nikki exclaimed as an red ember-like light burned around her. "Red Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Wind!" Patrick shouted as green light whipped up like a gust of wind. "Green Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Water!" Layla cried as blue light splashed over her like water. "Blue Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Earth!" Dirk roared as orange light came off the dirt like sand in the wind. "Orange Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Lightning!" Madilyn called as violet light crackled around her like electricity. "Violet Gaia Ranger!"

"Guardian of Light!" Jowar yelled, slamming his staff down as golden light shined around him like the sun's rays. "Wizard Ranger!"

The six Rangers struck a pose together as a large silver flash of light came up all around them, followed by a large, rainbow coloured explosion behind them. "_**Power Rangers, Guardians of Gaia!**_"

Dargoon yawned, arching his back and stretching his limbs out. "Oh, I'm sorry, you just took so long showing off, I got a little bored, and then I got sleepy. Venom Blots, if you will?"

The Venom Blots all growled menacingly, charging the Rangers as they immediately went to work. Nikki ran at the closest one to her, throwing a big boot up at its gut. Naturally, the Venom Blot caught her foot, giving her the chance to throw her other foot up and catch it in the side of the head, using the momentum to do a little spin and shoot another Blot with her blaster. Finally, she leaped up, sprung off the shoulders of one more Venom Blot that tried to ram her, and fired a charged-up shot, blowing all three of her opponents away.

"**Bronzooka!**" Layla called, bringing out the massive weapon. Opening a panel, she placed her own Leviathan Crystal inside, along with the Focus Crystal, before shutting it closed, the targeting scope sliding out. She aimed the bazooka ahead at the group of about six Venom Blots charging right at her.

"**Bronzooka, FIRE!**" the Blue Ranger shouted, pulling the trigger. The large blaster launched an effigy of the Leviathan Zord at the Venom Blots, first colliding with the initial three before curling around and striking through each one of the pack, eliminating them all.

"**Storm Lance!**" Patrick yelled, bringing out his trademark lance as he leaped into battle alongside Jowar, right into a group of ten Venom Blots. The two Rangers fought back to back, swiping their weapons across anything that came near them. After a few moments of this, Jowar leaped up, leaving the Green Ranger to swing his lance around hard and fast to create a twister that sent the Venom Blots floating in mid-air helplessly. The Wizard Ranger grinned under his helmet, spinning and firing a beam of golden light from his staff that vaporized the Venom Blots before landing on his feet, getting a thumbs up from Pat.

Madilyn let out a loud cry as she dive-kicked a Venom Blot down with everything she had, only for five more behind it to raise their claws up, ready to fire. Thinking quick, the Violet Ranger switched her Thunderbird Crystal in her blaster for the aquamarine Turtle Crystal and pulled the trigger, creating a shell-like shield that reflected the claw shots back at the Blots. As they were stunned, Dirk, who'd caught sight of this, inserted his Root Crystal into his Gaia Saber and slammed it into the ground, summoning vines that tangled the Blots up. The Orange Ranger then fired a charged-up shot from his blaster, destroying them.

With only a little over a dozen Venom Blots left, the team immediately regrouped. The core five Rangers loaded their Crystal Blast Morphers with their primary crystals and charged up a blast, all the while Jowar gathered energy into his staff. The six all aimed their weapons forward, just as the Venom Blots began to dash at them.

"_**Sextuple-mental Blast!**_" the Rangers called, unleashing their charged-up shots on the Venom Blots. The blasts overloaded most of the monsters, causing them to collapse to the ground in an explosion, while the remaining four fell back behind Dargoon.

"Huh, I'll be honest, you're quite a bit stronger than I was expecting," Dargoon admitted.

"We got way more where that came from!" Dirk boasted.

"We'll see," Dargoon replied, raising his fist skyward as it glowed indigo. "...Grow...!"

Suddenly, the Venom Blots behind him began to take the black and eggplant mist floating in the sky, leftover from their fallen allies, into their bodies. The four monsters growled, growing to giant size and knocking over several of the trees behind them as the Rangers backed off.

"We better call the Zords!" Madilyn yelled, drawing her Gaia Saber.

"No, you all need to keep focused on Dargoon," Jowar interjected. "I can handle the Venom Blots."

"Alright, Jowar, but be careful!" Nikki advised.

The Wizard Ranger nodded, raising his staff up. "**Magna Buster, power up!**"

The Magna Buster lifted itself out of the Ancient Library's roof, Jowar teleporting up into the control station. Removing the Light Crystal from his staff, he placed it into the charging chamber, causing the controls to come to life as a panel opened for his staff. Inserting his staff into the control panel, the Wizard Ranger aimed the Magna Buster at the Venom Blots and opened fire, blowing them back a bit.

Meanwhile, back on the ground, the team had drawn their Gaia Sabers, dueling against Dargoon as the Shadowmancer managed to parry each and every one of their strikes with his massive blade. He quickly dug out the Dragon Crystal, inserting it into his sword, as it began to glow brightly with indigo light.

"**Dragon Buster!**" Dargoon roared, grabbing hold of the blade with both hands. "**Shadow Break!**"

Swinging the Dragon Buster hard, Dargoon sent out a giant slash of indigo light that blew the Rangers onto their backsides, their Gaia Sabers being knocked from their hands. Nikki groaned, wincing in pain as the team got back to their feet, Dargoon tapping the blunt side of his Dragon Buster on his shoulder, like he was timing them or something.

"Okay, I think it's time we took it to the next level!" Nikki shouted.

"_**Right!**_" the team yelled as they crossed their arms in front of themselves. "_**Powered-Up Mode!**_"

The Rangers threw their arms down as they became engulfed in light resembling their elements. Dargoon rushed them, swinging his Dragon Buster at the team, only for Dirk and Patrick to block it between their palms. This gave Layla and Madilyn a chance to leap up and dive-kick the Shadowmancer in the head, forcing him backward. Finally, the four formed a circle and crossed their arms together, Nikki flipping up and springing off their arms like a trampoline. Dargoon, in his stunned state, couldn't get his blade up in time to block as Nikki came back down, karate chopping him in the shoulder with a hand filled with flames and sending him crashing to the ground.

"**Unicorn Sword!**" Nikki shouted, summoning the miniature Unicorn Sword with the Unicorn Crystal before opening the unicorn's jaws and plugging the crystal in, causing the blade to shimmer with a silver light. "Unicorn, remove the curse from the Dragon Crystal, and release Drayden from Dargoon's possession!"

Dargoon roared, getting back to his feet and looking to block with the Dragon Buster. Nikki yelled out as she thrust the blade forward, which glowed like a silver beam of light, and pierced the dragon eye emblem on the hilt of the Dragon Buster, where the Dragon Crystal hid underneath. Dargoon cried out as silver shocks of energy rippled through the blade and himself.

"GRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Dargoon roared, his face full of agony, before looking into Nikki's visor, smirking every so slightly. "...Oh wait, no, not so much!"

With a single swing, Dargoon knocked Nikki to the ground, much to her astonishment. "Wh-What?!"

"Really, you think the old Guardians didn't try using the Unicorn Zord's light when I possessed their friend?" Dargoon mocked as the Rangers looked on in disbelief. "No, they tried every last trick they had, to no avail. In fact, the ground where the Dragon Buster was left for a thousand years is littered with empty, lifeless crystals from their attempts, and the best they could do was force the Guardian of Darkness to the surface just long enough for him to destroy himself, never aware that my curse would live on through the Dragon Crystal."

Nikki gripped the Unicorn Sword tighter out of anger, the group getting distracted momentarily as Jowar unleashed another massive blast from the Magna Buster on the Venom Blots. Dargoon sighed, watching as his foot soldiers tumbled backward again.

"For what it's worth, you're really NOT the only pathetic ones fighting this war these days," Dargoon went on. "Just look at those Blots, enhanced through science by the top Shadowmancer general of Dradarius' army today, and THAT'S the best they can do? It's just SAD. But, then again, that Ebony Venom of his COULD be used for other purposes..."

Raising a hand to the sky, his glance fixed on the Venom Blots, Dargoon curled his fingers menacingly as the giants began to convulse in pain, their bodies falling apart into clumps of mist. The Rangers saw this, preparing to charge him, but the Shadowmancer merely swung his Dragon Buster once, knocking them away and out of Powered-Up Mode. As they hit the ground, the Venom Blots finished dissolving, their mist being pulled into Dargoon's body. He groaned as he felt new power enter him, quickly manifesting as a suit of dark armour, much like Darkea's, only with indigo and eggplant accents instead of dark red, and wearing a dragon-styled helm that covered his head and face.

* * *

Walker growled, watching as the events unfolded through the fireplace. "I KNEW it! He was just using my Venom Blots for his own gain!"

"Well, it was either letting him have them or losing our heads," Darkea noted. "Besides, if he destroys the Rangers, what do we care how he uses them?"

Walker looked back to his sister as she tended to Sphantis' wound from earlier. "No, Darkea, you really have no idea the kind of Shadowmancer we're dealing with..."

* * *

"There, that's more like it," Dargoon said, observing his armour. "It's just like the armour I wore a thousand years ago, only a bit sturdier."

"Great, now he's only stronger," Dirk observed as the Rangers got back to their feet.

"And we can't chance using Powered-Up Mode again, weak as we already are," Layla groaned, rubbing her neck.

Dargoon scoffed. "You're still here? Oh well, I guess I'll give you a nice gift for making it this far...!"

Dargoon opened the panel on his Dragon Buster, inserting the white and black crystals into the hilt alongside the Dragon Crystal. He then closed it shut, the dragon eye emblem spinning as the blade flashed between indigo, white, and black over and over. The Shadowmancer then swung it back, the Rangers preparing for his attack, when he instead sliced the blade a bit higher, sending a massive slash up at the Magna Buster. The team could only watch on in horror as the Magna Buster was blasted hard, Jowar being shocked by the energy build up and falling to the floor of the control station, demorphed and unconscious.

"_**JOWAR!**_" the Rangers screamed in terror.

"Worry more for yourselves, 'Power Rangers'!" Dargoon threatened, raising his blade skyward. "Dragon Zord! Wolf Zord! Lion Zord! Arise!"

The Dragon Buster suddenly released three beams of light out which entering a dark fog that seemed to be rolling in out of nowhere. A trio of loud roars pierced through the darkness, and the fog soon dissipated, revealing an indigo medieval dragon, a white wolf, and a black lion, all staring menacingly at the Rangers. The five Guardians of Gaia quickly scooped up their fallen Gaia Sabers, inserting their crystals.

"Alright, you want a Zord brawl?!" Nikki yelled. "You've got one! **Gaia Zord power, now!**"

The Rangers thrust their Gaia Sabers skyward, which shot out multicoloured beams that brought the Phoenix, Hippogriff, Leviathan, Behemoth, and Thunderbird Gaia Zords to the team's location. The team then leaped up into the air, teleporting into the cockpits and inserting their weapons into their holsters in the control panels.

"Log on!" Nikki commanded.

"Green Ranger, armed and ready!" Patrick responded.

"Blue Ranger, go for butt kicking!" Layla replied.

"Orange Ranger, ready to knock this guy down!" Dirk shouted.

"Dargoon shoulda checked himself, and now he's gonna wreck himself!" Madilyn exclaimed.

Dargoon chuckled lowly, leaping up and teleporting into the Dragon Zord's cockpit. It lacked a seat of any kind, simply having footholds to stand in. Stepping into them, a panel opened for the Dragon Buster, which he placed into it, gaining full control of it and the other two Zords. The Dragon Zord flapped its wings, taking off into the air and breathing columns of dark flames at the Phoenix, Hippogriff, and Thunderbird Zords, nearly knocking them out of the sky. The Wolf and Lion Zords, meanwhile, pounced upon the Leviathan and Behemoth Zords with claws and fangs, causing them to fall back a bit.

"We've gotta take him down!" Patrick yelled, inserting the Unicorn Crystal into his blaster and pulling the trigger. "Unicorn Zord, power up!"

The Hippogriff Zord launched an array of light that created an effigy of a silver moon in the sky. Soon enough, the Unicorn Zord climbed out from behind it, standing atop the moon and firing rays of light down on the Wolf and Lion Zords, knocking them back. However, upon looking at the Dragon Zord and seeing its darkened form, it took a hesitant step back.

"What's the deal?!" Madilyn demanded. "Why won't it fight the Dragon Zord?!"

Nikki's eyes widened as realization hit her. "You guys, remember the cave Professor Snyder told us about? With the statue of the dragon and the wall-carving of the unicorn? Snyder said the two looked like they didn't want to fight."

"Of course!" Dirk shouted. "The Unicorn and Dragon Zords must've been friends, and now the Unicorn Zord won't attack it!"

The Dragon Zord breathed dark flames at the Leviathan Zord, sending it rolling across the ground as Layla cried out. "Well, whatever the reason, it's not exactly doing us any favours!"

Dargoon sneered. "Well, let's see how you handle my next trick: Dragon, Wolf, Lion, COMBINE!"

To the Rangers' collective shock, the Dragon Zord twisted its long body around, resembling the legs and torso of a giant robot with the dragon head forming the chest. The Wolf and Lion Zords tucked their legs in, connecting with the Dragon Zord as arms. Finally, a robotic head slid out, resembling a dragoon's helmet, as the robot landed on its feet before the other Gaia Zords.

"**Dragoon Megazord, power up!**" Dargoon called as the dark Megazord came to life. The Wolf and Lion heads opened their jaws widely, releasing a pair of black energy orbs that blew apart the moon effigy, knocking the Unicorn Zord to the ground hard. It laid on its side, sparks flying from its body as it was heavily damaged.

"Okay, kid gloves are off!" Dirk roared, pulling out his Unity Crystal. "**Gaia Zords, combine!**"

The team switched out their crystals for the Unity Crystals, causing their Zords to spring up and shift their bodies around, combining into their own Megazord as their cockpits came together in the head. "_**Gaia Megazord, power up!**_"

The two Megazords approached each other, exchanging punches as sparks flew off them. Eventually, the Dragon Zord's wings, which were folded down around the Dragoon Megazord's sides, unfolded, firing energy bursts from the leathery-looking wings that sent the Gaia Megazord stumbling backward. The Rangers' giant robot quickly recovered, the Behemoth Zord's jaws on the chest of the Megazord opening to fire an orange orb of power at the opposing robot. However, the Dragon Zord's head on the chest of the Dragoon Megazord mirrored this action, only firing a large ball of black flames. The two attacks collided hard, cancelling each other out and knocking both Megazords off their feet.

"Dang it, we're running out of power!" Patrick cursed. "If we don't disable his Megazord, we're gonna be in deep trouble!"

"Hate to do this, but we don't have a choice," Nikki muttered, bringing out the Phoenix Crystal. "Guys, power up the Shield and Bow!"

Dirk and Layla nodded, getting out the Focus and Turtle Crystals. Nikki and Layla inserted their crystals into their blasters and pulled the triggers, calling out the Kitsune and Turtle Zords in flashes of pink and aquamarine light. The Kitsune Zord flipped up off the ground, forming a crossbow for the Gaia Megazord's right hand, while the Turtle Zord rolled into its shell and bounced up, forming a shield for the left hand.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Shield and** **Bow!**_" the team called as the Gaia Megazord got back to its feet, as did the Dragoon Megazord. The latter fired another black fireball at the former, the Turtle Shield managing to block the attack before its wielder returned fire with shots from the Kitsune Bow, forcing the dark Megazord to back off a bit.

"Guys, I think if we hit the Dragon Zord with enough force, we can force the Megazord apart!" Layla explained.

"Okay, hit it Dirk!" Nikki ordered, Dirk powering up the Focus Crystal. The Gaia Megazord began glowing with bronze light as the Turtle Shield was loaded onto the Kitsune Bow, the aquamarine Zord flashing in the seven colours of the Zords used in the current Zord combination.

"_**Heptagon Blast!**_" the Gaia Rangers shouted, the Kitsune Bow firing the Turtle Shield with the combined power of all seven Gaia Zords. The Turtle Zord erected a heptagon-shaped shield of bronze light around itself and slammed into the Dragoon Megazord hard, bouncing away to safety as the dark Megazord began to overload with energy, sparks flying from all over.

"GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLL!" Madilyn cheered.

Dargoon chuckled evilly from the Dragoon Megazord's cockpit, eggplant-coloured energy pouring from his hand into his blade and down into the control panel. "Pretty impressive attack. In fact, it should've been more than enough to force my Megazord apart, if I wasn't feeding it with the Ebony Venom I took in from Walker's Venom Blots. I'll give him this much credit: He may be an incompetent fool, but he gave me such a wonderful gift!"

The Turtle Zord quickly landed on the ground, peeling out toward the opponent at high speed. However, as it skipped up into the air, looking to slam into the dark Megazord, Dargoon fed a large amount of dark energy into the Dragoon Megazord, releasing a massive beam of darkness out of the Dragon Zord's jaws. It engulfed the Turtle Zord, stopping it in mid-air and knocking it to the ground in an explosion, its shell blown almost completely off as its power died off.

"**TURTLE ZORD!**" Madilyn screamed, the Zord fading away in a dim, aquamarine light.

"Okay, now I'm REALLY mad!" Dirk roared, the Kitsune Bow switching to the left hand and transforming into its longbow form. The Gaia Megazord created an arrow out of white hot flames, setting it on the bow.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Kitsune Bow!**_" the Rangers called. "_**Final Flare!**_"

The Megazord released the burning arrow, sending it sailing through the air straight at the Dragoon Megazord. The arrow hit the dark Megazord hard, causing it to stumble back a few steps, only for it to power up with even more dark energy from Dargoon.

"**Eternal Bleak!**" Dargoon shouted, the three Zords making up the Dragoon Megazord opening their jaws and firing out massive indigo, white, and black beams of energy out at the Gaia Megazord. The relentless assault of the beams knocked the Kitsune Bow out of the Gaia Megazord's hands and crashing into the trees below, while the Megazord itself crashed across the forest, the Rangers tumbling out of the cockpit and falling to the ground as the giant robot blew apart into its individual Zords, all looking heavily damaged.

Nikki winced and gasped in pain as she dragged herself up to her hands and knees, her visor broken apart in the top left corner. Reaching over, she grabbed hold of her discarded Gaia Saber, which had apparently fallen out with her, and used it to force herself shakily back to her feet. As she did, though, her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the Gaia Zords, all heavily damaged and drained of power. In a word, dead.

"No...!" Nikki gasped, all the while the others tried to pull themselves back up.

"Feel glad for them, because THEY got it easy!" Dargoon yelled from the Dragoon Megazord. "I'm sick of this stupid, infinite war on this light-tainted rock of a planet! I'm bringing an end to it once and for all, by destroying this planet and leaving only a dark abyss in its wake, leaving the darkness as the one true winner of the war!"

"Is he serious?!" Patrick demanded.

"In twenty-four hours, I expect you, Guardians of Gaia, to bring me all of the Gaian Crystals in your possession, so I can proceed with the quick, decisive destruction of Gaia!" Dargoon called. "If you don't, I'll destroy every single one of the cities on Gaia, and everyone in them! And trust me, I will make it agonizingly SLOW!"

With this thought left for the Rangers, the Dragoon Megazord teleported away, taking Dargoon with it. Likewise, the other Gaia Zords soon faded away into nothingness, leaving the Rangers to wallow in their own terror and depression.

* * *

Darkea gulped hard, having heard Dargoon's declaration. "...Okay, I think I'm getting what you meant before."

"Gee, you think?" Walker snarked as he finished using the dark smog in his staff to regenerate Sphantis' missing scythe.

"So, okay, what in the wide world of Gaia are we gonna do to stop THAT?!" Darkea demanded.

Walker sighed, turning away. "...Something I tried to tell myself I wouldn't have to do..."

* * *

Professor Snyder groaned as he carried Jowar down to the main chamber, laying him down on the mattress he'd pulled out. As he did, the others quickly ran in, all demorphed and looking anywhere from concerned to terrified as they gathered around.

"Is he...?" Dirk asked, tears forming in his eyes.

"No, he's still alive," Snyder replied, "but I think he might be comatose."

"Oh jeez..." Patrick muttered, falling to his knees. "I can't believe this is happening! What else could possibly go wrong today?!"

"I can think of a few things..."

The group immediately spun around, facing the source of the voice. To their combined shock, entering the main chamber of the Ancient Library was Walker, flanked by Darkea and an angry looking Sphantis. Nikki stood balled up against the three, unsure if she was ready for a fight or not, but prepared to fight the Shadowmancers to the death to protect Jowar.

"You can relax, Red Ranger," Walker assured. "I'm not here to fight you, amusing as it would be to kick you while you're down."

"Then what do you want?" Nikki inquired.

Walker sighed, looking EXTREMELY pained and conflicted, before staring into Nikki's eyes and simply uttering the words, "...I'm here to help."

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ And just when they thought they knew the answers, I changed the questions! XD

So, much as I hate to bore you with details, let's recap some of the new stuff shown off this chapter. First off, the Dragon Buster is a large black and indigo sword, close in size to the Fire Smasher from Power Rangers Samurai. The crystal compartment is hidden behind an emblem resembling a dragon's eye, and can house up to three crystals at once, making it the vast superior to the Gaia Sabers in nearly every way. Naturally, it takes a strong-bodied individual to wield it properly, but once mastered, it works well as both an offensive and defensive weapon.

Next, the new Zords. The Dragon Zord is very much styled like the typical medieval dragon, in that it's a quadruped with a single set of wings, a tail, and its head sitting atop a neck comparable in length to the tail. The Wolf and Lion Zords are pretty much what they sound like, a white wolf and a black lion. When the three Zords combine into the Dragoon Megazord, the jaws of the Wolf and Lion Zords operate both as hands and as blasters.

And lastly, I better not hear anyone in the comments snickering at the use of the word 'sextuple'. Just saying. lol

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, the Indigo Nightmare Saga continues as the Rangers are left without their mentor or their Zords, but will help from a surprising source tip the scales back into their favour? Find out as the Rangers seek to uncover the means of tapping into the full extent of their powers! Ja né!


	15. Indigo Nightmare Part 3

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Dargoon grinned, planting the Dragon Buster into the ground, taking a seat on a mountain overlooking Wescentral City, home to well over three million people. Three million fools that refused the power and protection of the darkness. Here, he would start his assault. After all, he knew the Guardians of Gaia were unlikely to just hand over the Gaian Crystals, meaning he'd need a location to make an example out of. The screams of three million people as their city burned down around them would be a sufficient message.

"No!" Dargoon cried as his armour dematerialized, his voice seeming softer as his eyes flickered blue. "We can't just destroy a city full of millions! It's wrong!"

Dargoon shook his head hard, his eyes returning to their amber state. He sighed, carving a small hole in the ground and filling it with water from his flask. Looking into it, he watched as his reflection changed to that of someone without an indigo streak in their hair and blue eyes as opposed to his yellow.

"I thought I told you to keep quiet, Drayden," Dargoon growled. "we're supposed to be joined as one, not two minds fighting for control of a single body. It can have...side-effects."

"While you're hurting people for no good reason?!" Drayden argued. "I won't be a part of this any-"

"YOU don't have a choice!" Dargoon roared, making the water ripple. "We had a deal, and I'M the one calling the shots! Now **GET BACK IN LINE!**"

Dargoon panted hard as his reflection returned to normal, wiping the sweat from his brow. _Seems the Unicorn's light managed to separate us a little after all. Strange, seeing as how it wasn't able to come close the last time...Still, it's of little consequence. Drayden can't possibly retake his body, and I'll use it to destroy this entire planet, leaving only darkness in its wake._

* * *

Dirk blinked, cleaning out his ear with his pinkie finger. "...Um, I must not have heard that correctly, 'cuz it sounded like our worst enemy ever since we dropped down onto this planet just offered to help take down his own comrade."

"Dargoon is no ally of mine," Walker insisted, "or of Lord Dradarius'. Look, I don't know what you've managed to read up on him, but this isn't the first time Dargoon made the motion to just annihilate Gaia completely, and when he made it clear he was going to attempt it before, he was tossed aside from Dradarius' ranks, left without the means of going through with his goal. So, in a moment of desperation, he turned to another method..."

Nikki's eyes widened. "When he possessed the Guardian of Darkness."

"You're not honestly listening to him, are you?!" Madilyn demanded. "C'mon, this is obviously a trick! Dargoon blowing up the planet is just what they want!"

"Yes, because we WANT to be destroyed along with all of you," Darkea replied sarcastically. "Newsflash, Violet Ranger: My father doesn't want to destroy the world, he wants to RULE it. Kinda hard to do that when there's no Gaia left to rule."

"The problem is, Dargoon has warped the nature of our goal to the point that he thinks leaving an empty void where Gaia was is the same as ruling it," Walker added. "And in case you're wondering, if you gave him your crystals, not only COULD he do just that, he WOULD."

"...How?" Layla asked.

"You'll recall Dargoon mentioned the existence of several more crystals," Walker explained, "all laying lifeless where the Dragon Buster was once left, deep in one of the many dark zones in Gaia. They belonged to the original Guardians of Gaia, who wound up draining said crystals of their energy to try and remove the curse from the Dragon Crystal. As you know, it failed, for the most part. However, if Dargoon were to fuel them with his own substantial darkness that he's gathered, and then focused their power along with your own crystals' power straight down into the planet's core..."

"Doomsday," Nikki finished, getting a nod from Walker.

"So how the heck do we stop him?" Patrick demanded. "Is it even possible? I mean, look at us. Jowar's down, the Gaia Zords are gone...!"

"The Gaia Zords WEREN'T destroyed," Layla quickly corrected, getting confused looks from everyone. "...Look, I don't know exactly how it works, but if they take too much damage, their consciousness or whatever it is gets sent back to their crystals, and the Zords are sent back to their hiding places to enter a sort of automated self-repair mode."

"So, as long as our crystals still have power, the Gaia Zords will always be able to regenerate, no matter how badly hurt they get?" Dirk asked.

"If we're going by the theory that they're living creatures, then yes, that's exactly right," Layla replied. "Unfortunately, it'll take time for them to be battle ready after that last fight, and there's no guarantee that it'll end any differently."

"Which is why I've come to you," Walker noted. "I would just as soon destroy Dargoon and take the crystals in his possession with him, but as I lack the means, and I know that you all desire to save the boy he's possessed, I'm left with only one option, and that is to help you find the means with which to free him."

"How?" Patrick asked. "You said before, all those crystals couldn't get the job done, and the Unicorn Zord couldn't repel Dargoon's curse either."

"That's true," Walker replied. "However, if you used the full extent of your powers together, you would've created a light far greater than the Unicorn Zord's. The problem is, in your current state, that's impossible. Even your Powered-Up Mode is only able to grant you access to a far larger portion of power than normal, and that only lasts for as long as your bodies can withstand it."

"Then how do we reach our full potential?" Nikki inquired.

"The truth is, the original Guardians of Gaia weren't the first users of Gaian Crystals," Walker explained. "Long before the dwarves on Mt. Titanium constructed the Crystal Blast Morphers, they had developed five gauntlets that channeled the power of the crystals. These gauntlets granted power far greater than the blasters, as well as armour meant to help the user contain it all. However, the concern with them was that they granted too much power, and so when the crisis they were created to combat was ended, the gauntlets were disposed of."

"So, where does that leave us?" Madilyn asked.

"The gauntlets couldn't be destroyed at the time," Walker went on. "So, to get rid of them, they were dropped into a place where no one could ever reach them: The Well of Regret, deep inside the nexus of energy under the Ancient Library."

"That must be the other reason why the wizards built the library over the nexus," Layla realized. "To protect the well and keep outsiders from reaching the gauntlets."

"Hey now, someone's keeping up after all," Darkea commented. "Thing is, even the wizards, who had access to the nexus and the well, would probably fail to retrieve the gauntlets if they tried."

"Why is that?" Professor Snyder wondered aloud.

"Because the Well of Regret takes a person's inner fears, doubts, regrets, and mistakes, and makes them face up against them," Walker responded. "The truth is, telling you all of this, knowing full well what you're going to do with this information, the odds of you retrieving the gauntlets are extremely slim, especially in the time that we have. However, if any of us are to survive, this may be our only chance."

The Rangers looked to each other, uncertain, to which Walker huffed and turned away. "I'll leave it up to you to decide. In the meantime, I'm going to prepare an attack on Dargoon and his Zords for tomorrow, just in case you need the extra time."

"Wait!" Nikki exclaimed before Walker, Darkea, and Sphantis could take their leave. "...We'll take what you said into consideration, but just remember that this doesn't change anything. When Dargoon is defeated-"

"We go right back to our battle," Walker finished, grinning evilly. "Believe me, I wouldn't have it any other way."

With those words, Walker opened a portal before himself, Darkea, and Sphantis, the three taking their leave from the Ancient Library. Nikki sighed, looking back to the others as they contemplated everything they'd been told. After a few moments, Madilyn cleared her throat, clearly taking the floor.

"...I really, REALLY hate to admit this," Madilyn muttered. "But, unfortunately, Walker's right: Much as I REALLY hate that guy and think that this is a suicide mission, it might be the only chance we've got at stopping Dargoon and saving Drayden."

"Certainty of destruction, microscopic odds of victory," Patrick thought aloud. "...Yeah, that sounds like our kind of mission."

"I'm still gonna punch Walker's lights out when this is over, but I think taking his advice might be our only real option," Dirk admitted.

"And if we can access our full potential, we'd have more than enough power to bring the Gaia Zords back to full strength," Layla added.

Nikki grinned widely. "...Well, that didn't take long. Good thing, too, 'cuz if we're doing this, we better go right away."

Charles nodded. "I'll stay here with Jowar. Hopefully, your communicators will still work down there, and I'll be able to keep you up to date on what's happening."

"...Hey, um, this is probably a dumb time to ask this, but how exactly do we GET to the bottom of the nexus?" Dirk asked. "I mean, what, did the wizards build a gigantic ladder or something?"

* * *

A few minutes later, the five friends were in the lowest chamber of the Ancient Library, peering down into a tunnel that exited into a large, rainbow-coloured abyss. And, sure enough, there was a gigantic ladder leading straight down it.

"...Dirk, you're not allowed to be snarky anymore," Patrick said. "Every time you joke about something, it comes true."

"Look at it this way, we'll get a ton of exercise," Nikki stated, climbing down the ladder through the tunnel.

"Or we'll suffer a heart attack and fall to the bottom," Layla joked, following after the leader. "And hey, at least then we'll get there quicker, right?"

Madilyn rolled her eyes as she and the boys followed suit. "Layla, please don't joke about that. Also, if we ever get home, let's promise to skip this part of the story we tell our parents. You know how much Mom hates heights."

And so, the Rangers climbed down the ladder. They climbed, and climbed, and climbed for what had to have been at least an hour, and still there was no end in sight. The group was getting tired, and trying to continue to descend down the ladder and not lose their footing was becoming an ever-increasingly difficult task.

"Ugh, how much longer is this freaking ladder?!" Madilyn groaned.

"It can't be too much farther," Nikki replied, stopping for a moment to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"You said that a half an hour ago," Patrick noted.

"32 minutes and 29 seconds to be precise," Layla corrected.

"...You have a watch?" Patrick asked.

"No, I've just been timing it in my head," Layla answered with a moan. "Because I had nothing else to do besides climbing this ladder."

"I'm starting to tire out, too," Dirk added. "Y'know, maybe coming down here without a rest was a bad idea. After all, we've been searching across towns, been in three different fights, gone Powered-Up Mode, and got our butts royally kicked by Dargoon in one day. We were on fumes before we ever got to this ladder."

"Well, we can't go back now!" Nikki yelled. "We've gotta-AH!"

Nikki cried out as she felt the rung under her foot give way, falling all the way down into the abyss. "...Okay! Apparently, the rungs get kinda shoddy from here on!"

"Makes sense!" Layla replied, her voice soaked in concern. "The materials used in the construction of this ladder have been exposed to the raw elements of the abyss for well over a millennium!"

"In retrospect: duh!" Madilyn groaned. "Now what?!"

"W-Well, maybe it's just that one rung?" Dirk stammered.

"...Yeah, and maybe in the summer, you'll look good in a mankini!" Patrick snarked. "Which, FYI, if I wasn't already blind, I'd wanna gouge my eyes out at the sight of!"

"For the last time, I swear I never wore that thing!" Dirk shot back. "One of Tanya's friends bought it as a jo-OHHH!"

Dirk yelled as the rung he was clutching onto broke free, causing him to fall. Patrick reached out and grabbed him, but this caused him to slide into Madilyn, who slid into Layla, who then slid into Nikki, all the while everyone tried desperately to grab onto the ladder.

"Okay, this was a BAD idea!" Nikki admitted. "Dirk, can you reach your Morpher?!"

"Not so much!" Dirk yelled back, both of his hands currently holding on for dear life, just as a loud crack could be heard in the side of the ladder.

"...Oh, sugar honey iced TEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Madilyn screamed as the ladder suddenly came apart, the five tumbling down through the nexus. As they fell, though, they each grabbed hold of their Crystal Blast Morphers and Gaian Crystals, inserting the latter into the former.

"_**It's Morphin Time!**_" the team shouted, firing their blasters and coating themselves with energy, morphing into the Gaia Rangers. Once morphed, Dirk pressed his thumb to his buckle, summoning the Root Crystal and swapping out the Behemoth Crystal for it in his blaster. He fired a charged-up shot straight down, past the others to where he hoped there was a bottom of some sort. Finally, after a few moments, a series of large vines sprung up at the group, catching them as they fell.

"Oh man, that was pretty bad!" Nikki groaned, laying back against the vines as they slowly pulled them downward.

"Maybe next time, we do this in the first place," Madilyn suggested.

"For once, Mad, you get zero argument from me," Patrick replied.

"...Uh, guys?" Layla said, looking straight down. As the others followed suit, they quickly caught sight of the large, dark, stone well that the vines were growing out of, and were now being pulled down toward.

"Think that's the Well of Regret?" Dirk asked.

"I'd say that's a safe bet," Madilyn answered. "Unless it's really a time portal to the Sengoku period."

At this, everyone just glanced at the Violet Ranger in confusion. "...So, I'm really the only one of the five of us that watched InuYasha?"

"No, I watched it, I just can't believe you made that reference," Patrick replied.

"Just remember, guys," Nikki said as the vines pulled them into the dark. "No matter what's in here, we can handle it, as long as we stick together...right?"

Nikki blinked, looking around and trying to peer through the pure black of the darkness. "...Guys?!"

Within a few moments, the darkness faded, revealing a completely different scene: A large, empty terrain of grey stone in the middle of a dense, grey fog, with the ground littered with hundreds, if not thousands, of dull, lifeless, grey crystals. Even the sky above was completely grey, leaving the scenery to blend together in the most terrible of ways. And standing in the middle of it, completely alone, was the Red Ranger.

"Hello?!" Nikki yelled into the dull, grey void. "Patrick?! Layla! Dirk! Madilyn?!"

After a few moments, a figure emerged from the fog: An elf with spiky red hair, red eyes, and wearing red and black leather armour. However, the thing that caught Nikki's eye most was what was strapped to his leg: None other than a Crystal Blast Morpher. In fact, despite each of the blasters looking exactly the same, Nikki could just tell that it wasn't just A Crystal Blast Morpher, it was HERS, an exact duplicate.

"...Who are you?" Nikki asked.

"Who do you think I am?" the elf asked back, to which Nikki could only come up with one answer.

"...Are you my ancestor?" Nikki inquired. "The original Guardian of Fire?"

The elf nodded his head. "I am. I've been watching for some time now, seeing you lead your team, and I have to say, while you've done your best to adapt to the situation, you've clearly demonstrated that you aren't cut out for this."

Nikki's eyes widened under her helmet. "Wh-what?"

"Don't misunderstand," the Guardian of Fire said quickly. "I don't want to have to say these things to you, and I know how hard you're trying, and how much you care for this world. It's just that...you never meant to be a leader in this terrible war. It never should've been your burden to carry, but as my bloodline spread to Earth, and the Phoenix Crystal was passed down with it, it eventually wound up in your hands at the worst possible time."

Nikki sighed, looking down at the crystals lying scattered and lifeless on the stone ground as her ancestor went on. "But it's alright now. You don't have to keep fighting if you don't want to. I've returned to take your place, if you want me to."

The Red Ranger lifted her gaze back to the Guardian of Fire, who held out his hand. "My friends and I have been waiting to pick up where we left off. We can send you and the others back to Earth. We can even give your friend Patrick his sight back. You don't need to live this life anymore. All you need to do is make a choice: Stay on Gaia, or return to Earth?"

Nikki's eyes widened, almost overjoyed at this prospect: A way home, a way to restore Patrick's vision, and the old Guardians to take their place. All she had to do was say yes, and they could be home right away. Tears started to form in her eyes at this thought: Home, free of the pain of this war. Isn't that what they'd wanted since they first arrived on Gaia? All she had to do was leave it all behind. Leave Gaia behind. It should've been the easiest choice to make, and yet, as Nikki thought about, she realized she couldn't bring herself to say the words, and was left demanding why in her head.

* * *

Patrick groaned as he got back to his feet, standing near the edge of a cliff. Shaking the cobwebs loose in his head, he heard the sound of water splashing below, and instinctively opened his eyes to see a vast ocean with the sun setting over it. Upon doing so, he quickly took in the beauty of the scenery, before it suddenly hit him what was happening.

"I...I can see...!" Patrick said, pulling off his helmet and sunglasses. "I can see! I can see the sunset! And it's gorgeous!"

Patrick fell back to his knees again, tears flowing from his eyes. A gentle breeze caressed his face, and he found himself openly weeping with joy. He could see again, REALLY see, not just rely on images formed in his head with the air around him. Of course, he'd never said it to the others, because the most important thing that they should be focusing on was the war, but the truth was, he missed being able to see so badly.

"...Beautiful, isn't it?"

Patrick's eyes widened, turning to face the person standing behind him. To his utter shock, it was Darkea, only not somehow. She looked like Darkea, but her skin was a fair Caucasian tone, her hair was much longer, and instead of armour, she was wearing a long, red and black dress that flowed with the wind.

"...Darkea?" Patrick asked. "How did you-"

"It's nice, having the gift of sight," Darkea said, her voice having a much softer, sweeter tone to it. "And this sunset...it's so beautiful. I'd been in the dark for so long, I forgot what it looked like."

Patrick nodded, blushing a little. "Yeah...but, at the same time, I can't help but feel like you're even more-"

Darkea giggled, cutting the Green Ranger off. "Is this really how you've always wanted to see me? Human, and beautiful? Why is that, I wonder?"

Patrick scratched the back of his head, embarrassed as Darkea knelt down before him. "It's a wonderful feeling, seeing exactly what you want, right in front of you, right within touching distance...or maybe kissing distance..."

"N-No, nothing like THAT!" Patrick said quickly, backing away. "I mean, not that I don't think you're beautiful like this. It's just, that's not why. I just think it's terrible how, just because your dad's an evil jerk, you had to grow up to be just like him. You weren't even given a chance to be anything else."

Darkea giggled, standing back up. "That's really noble of you, Patrick. You really ARE like a knight."

Patrick rubbed his arm, fidgeting nervously, while Darkea proceeded to frown sadly. "The thing is, more often than not, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is."

Before Patrick could inquire further, a dark wind suddenly blew in his face, and everything around him turned into a black void. He groaned as he fell to his hands and knees, unable to see, and unable to form a decent vision in his mind through the dark wind rushing all around him. He reached out, desperately trying to grab hold of anything in the dark.

"DARKEA!" Patrick yelled. "Come back! Don't go back to the darkness!"

"I'm not the one lost in the darkness, silly," Darkea's voice echoed, her harsh, taunting edge back. "YOU are."

* * *

"Okay, that was weird as all heck," Dirk noted, getting up from the grassy hill in the middle of nowhere he was standing upon. "...Great. No sign of the others. Terrific. Guess that means we gotta find each other before we can find the gauntlets."

"The only thing you're going to find down here is trouble," a familiar voice rang out, causing Dirk's blood to boil at the mere sound of it. The Orange Ranger spun around, face to face with a dark grey, lanky-looking monster that smirked evilly at him.

"Doppelganger!" Dirk growled, bringing his Quake Ax out right away.

"Surprised to see me?" the Lightless asked.

"I shouldn't be!" Dirk yelled. "Your destruction was just another illusion, wasn't it?!"

"Can't get anything past you, huh Dirk?" the Doppelganger hissed. "Suffice to say, though, it took you far too late to figure it out. Right now, your friends are about to suffer their worst nightmares, all because you couldn't stop me when it counted most."

"I knew we never should've trusted Walker!" Dirk accused. "This whole trip was just one big trap for my friends!"

"Oh, believe me," the Doppelganger said with a grin, "the biggest nightmare of all is waiting just for you, and I get to be the one who carries it out!"

"Bring it on, you creep!" Dirk roared, swinging his ax hard at his opponent, only for the Lightless to transform its arm into a chainsaw, blocking the ax as it laughed mockingly at the Orange Ranger.

"Such a temper!" the Doppelganger taunted. "I'd forgotten how angry you could get when you weren't cracking jokes or talking about the farm!"

"Lemme remind you!" Dirk shouted, letting go of his ax with his right hand and grabbing his blaster, still in its holster, and firing it at the Lightless. However, the Doppelganger was quick to his plan, liquefying and shifting around the blast before turning its arm into a sledgehammer, hitting Dirk hard in the chest and knocking him off his feet.

"That's not really the best you can do, is it?" the Doppelganger asked, its head reforming into that of Tanya's. "How pathetic of you, little brother."

Dirk's eyes widened in anger as he got back to his feet, rushing the Doppelganger with his ax. "I told you to **NEVER USE MY FAMILY AGAIN!**"

* * *

"Madilyn?!" Layla called out, running through the thick forest around her. "Nikki?! Patrick! Dirk?!"

"Layla!" the Blue Ranger heard Madilyn call, peering through the woods to see a violet figure approach her.

"Sis!" Layla shouted, running up to meet with the Violet Ranger, who quickly grabbed her in a hug. "Oh man, am I glad to see you!"

"Me too!" Madilyn replied. "Any sign of the others?!"

Layla shook her head. "No, nothing. I'm worried something terrible happened when...whatever it was separated us."

Madilyn nodded. "Don't worry, we'll find them. Just leave everything to big sis, and we'll come out just fine!"

Layla rolled her eyes under her helmet. "Uh huh. Whatever, let's just-"

The Blue Ranger stopped, looking around as Madilyn stared at her inquisitively. "...What is it?"

"...Do you smell that?" Layla asked.

Madilyn blinked, taking a sniff. Sure enough, she did smell something: Smoke. Once she caught a whiff of the scent, she could hear the sound of something burning from far off. More-so, she heard the sound of flames raging, of floorboards breaking, of ceilings caving in, and of people screaming for help on the other side of the flames from her, all while she was helpless to do anything about it.

"...Madilyn?" Layla said, waving a hand in front of her sister's face. "...Sis! Yo!"

Madilyn shook her head hard, pulling herself from the image forming in her head. "Huh?! Wha?!"

"You okay?" Layla asked.

"Yeah, just kinda phased out for a sec," Madilyn answered.

"More like your brain left Gaia for ANOTHER world or something," Layla replied. "Also, that smell is getting stronger..."

Madilyn nodded, noticing the same. Looking around, she eventually found the source walking out from behind a tree a few yards away. It looked like a Blot, but it wasn't, as it wasn't made of darkness. Rather, it looked to be made of flames, and everything it touched was either burned to cinders or set on fire, spawning new ones that walked menacingly toward the two.

"...Some kinda Fire Blots?" Layla asked, drawing her blaster.

"Whatever they are, they can totally go away," Madilyn replied, switching her Thunderbird Crystal with the Turtle Crystal, "preferably before I start shooting!"

Before the two could open fire, the apparent Fire Blots began splitting up, creating several more of themselves. Within seconds, there were a couple dozen of them. Another second later, four dozen. The near half a hundred Fire Blots all growled as they sauntered over to the two, the trees getting set on fire as they approached.

"I, uh, I think we're gonna need a fire hose!" Madilyn yelled, grabbing Layla's hand and running away.

"What are you doing!" Layla cried, getting dragged away. "We need to stop those things from spreading!"

"We need more water!" Madilyn insisted. "We need to find a lake or a river or-"

Madilyn stopped in her tracks, eyes wide in fear as another 50 or so Fire Blots stood before the two, cutting them off. The others approached as well from being. Layla quickly started shooting them down, but her best charged-up shot only took out four, which were replaced almost immediately.

"There's way too many!" Layla shouted. "Sis, what do we do?!...Sis?!"

Madilyn didn't hear her sister, instead shaking in her suit as the sound of fire burning crackled in her ears. "...Too much fire...!"

* * *

"So many things you could've done," Darkea's voice said as Patrick crawled on his hands and feet through the dark. "So many opportunities you could've had. You could've been a meteorologist like your father, or a geologist like your grandfather. Maybe even a zoologist like your great aunt. But no, you had to be a knight, a Guardian, a Power Ranger. And what did that earn you?"

"I just...wanted...to help people...!" Patrick groaned, the dark wind howling in his ears as he dragged himself further along, until he could feel an armoured boot hold his head down.

"And a lot of good it did!" Darkea yelled from above the Green Ranger. "Look at you, lost and blind in the dark down here, while my brother and I, your ENEMIES, are fighting to stop Dargoon up there! You tried to help people, but in the end, you can't even help yourself!"

Patrick grit his teeth and shut his eyes as the Shadowmancer went on. "So, here's a question: After all that, after losing the opportunities you had available to you, and after failing to protect anyone, was it really worth it?! Would you do it all again?!"

Patrick's eyes shot open, letting loose a low growl in the back of his throat. "...What kind of...stupid question is THAT?!"

Clenching his fist, Pat slammed it down on the ground, sending essentially a small tornado straight up that knocked Darkea off of him and threw him back onto his feet. "YES, I'd do it ALL again! And I'd KEEP doing it until both worlds were safe! And you, your brother, Dargoon, Dradarius, and whoever else can throw whatever they want at me! You can rip my arms off for all I care, I'll hold my sword between my teeth and slash you all down!"

Hearing Darkea hit the ground next to him and charge him, Patrick stretched out with his senses throughout the air around him. However, once he did, he found that Darkea wasn't really there. In fact, none of his surroundings looked right. He wasn't on a cliff, nor were his helmet and glasses removed. He was at the bottom of a stone well. More to the point, he wasn't alone, either, as the other Rangers were standing around, looking to be surrounded in some sort of dark aura. Seeing all this, realization hit Patrick up the side of the head like an 18-wheeler.

"...Our fears, doubts, regrets, and mistakes!" Patrick gasped before grabbing hold of Nikki, giving her a hard shake. "Nikki, snap out of it! It's not real, Nikki! Nothing you're seeing is real!"

* * *

The Guardian of Fire retracted his hand in confusion. "...Well? Come on, Nikki, you can decide this. You don't really want to stay, do you? Stay and fight this war? Don't you want to go home?"

Nikki looked away. "Of course I wanna go home. It's just...I don't know if I can leave Gaia like this, with all this terrible stuff going on."

"You were fine to leave it before, remember?" Nikki's elven ancestor reasoned. "You wanted to go home and call the other Rangers for help, let them deal with it."

"I remember," Nikki replied, looking the old Guardian in the eye. "And you know something? This is my...OUR responsibility now. I realized it when we fought the fake Power Rangers, that regardless of how or why we were sent here, it happened, and it was our mission."

"But this isn't meant for you, Nikki," the Guardian of Fire insisted. "Look at the things that have happened, the mistakes that were made-"

"I'm well aware of my mistakes, ancestor!" Nikki yelled. "I know where I screwed up, you don't need to list them! I led Patrick into a fight that cost him his eyesight! I almost cost my whole team their souls! I failed to remove the curse on Dargoon! You're telling me you never once screwed up as a leader?!"

The Guardian flinched like he'd been hit. "...Nikki...Nichelle, I..."

"Look, I know you mean well, and I'm sorry to lash out, but this is my decision," Nikki said. "I made a commitment, to protect this world. It's my mission, mine and my friends. You made the same one once with your friends, but now it's our turn. I'm sorry if that makes you disappointed in me, but it has to be done. I hope you understand."

For a while, the Guardian of Fire stood completely still, like a statue. Finally, he smiled, turned around, and walked away, waving back at Nikki as he went. With that, the dense fog around Nikki began to light up, causing the mist to dissipate into nothingness. When the light faded, Nikki found herself instead at the bottom of a dark well, being shaken hard by Patrick.

"Hey, knock it off!" Nikki yelled, pushing Pat back a bit.

"Nikki, you got out!" Patrick exclaimed.

"Where are we?" the Red Ranger asked, looking around.

"At the bottom of the Well of Regret, where we were trying to get all along," Pat answered. "As soon as we got here, we all got put into some kinda trance."

"I saw my ancestor, the original Guardian of Fire..." Nikki muttered. "It felt so real."

"So did mine," the Green Ranger said with a nod. "My guess is, same for them."

Nikki looked to Dirk, Madilyn, and Layla, all surrounded by dark auras. "How do we get them out of this?!"

"I don't think we do," Patrick replied. "All the shaking and verbal splashes of water I could give them did nothing."

Nikki's eyes widened as she realized the truth: Patrick didn't get her out of her trance, she had to get herself out. That meant that it fell on the others to get themselves out too, and there was no way to be sure how long they'd been down there, having these visions. Bottom line, if the others didn't get themselves out of their trances, they weren't leaving, and if they couldn't leave, Gaia was as good as destroyed.

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ So, let's talk about a couple of things. First off, I initially meant to have everyone getting through their illusions as one chapter, but it was going a bit long as was, and I also forgot to include a scene with Dargoon...y'know, the antagonist of the arc. So, I decided to add the scene with him and leave the resolution of Dirk, Layla, and Madilyn's illusions for the beginning of the next chapter. Sorry about that.

Second, I apologize to anyone that thought I'd destroyed the Gaia Zords. I just needed last episode to be one of those stories where the 'royally screwed' keeps getting piled up. lol

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, the team continue to face their inner doubts and fears as they try to find the gauntlets in the Well of Regret. Can they find them in time to stop Dargoon? Ja né!


	16. Indigo Nightmare Part 4

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Dargoon's eyes opened, looking up at the current position of the sun. "...Well, time's up. Guess they need that example after all."

Getting off the stone he'd been laying on, Dargoon reached to his back and unsheathed the Dragon Buster. Inserting the three crystals inside, he raised the blade skyward as it flashed indigo, white, and black, before swinging it down, sending a deadly slash of energy at Wescentral City. Before it could make contact, however, a pair of blurs rushed in front of it, cutting it apart into four pieces that flew off and exploded outside the city gates. Dargoon's eyes narrowed in annoyance as a pair of Lightless, a Liger and a Panther, landed before him.

"...So, of all people that could stand against me, YOU betray your own master?" Dargoon asked, tilting his head to the side as Walker led Darkea and Sphantis toward him.

"YOU betrayed Lord Dradarius!" Walker corrected, pointing his staff at his opposing Shadowmancer. "You would annihilate his entire army, and every last speck of life, be it light or dark, on this planet!"

Dargoon sighed, shaking his head. "All such fools, to think that you can rule this whole planet, or that it would really mean anything if you did."

"Looks like we've got a difference of opinion, then!" Darkea shouted as she and Sphantis prepared for combat.

"Looks like," Dargoon replied, burning with dark energy as his armour materialized. "How about we settle this debate like we did in the old days, then?! Whoever is most powerful is right!"

* * *

Dirk let out a feral yell as he brought his Quake Ax down on the Doppelganger Lightless' arms, only for said arms to transform into a pair of duplicates of the Orange Ranger's ax. Taking advantage of its opponent's momentary shock, the monster did a back-flip, knocking Dirk's weapon back before coming back down and slashing him with both of its own, sparks flying off the Guardian of Earth's suit. Dirk cried out in pain as he fell back to the ground, using his ax to prop himself back up.

"Such a disappointment," the Doppelganger taunted, his face and voice changing into that of Dirk's father. "I had such high hopes for you Dirk, but all you do is waste them."

"You're not my father..." Dirk growled. "Stop looking like my family!"

"Fine, how's this?" the Lightless asked, turning into a black version of the Orange Gaia Ranger with a single Quake Ax. "Personally, I think black suits you better than orange. After all, for all your witty observations, all those times you'd like to kick back and relax, you're got a heart stained with anger and darkness."

"When I want a psych evaluation, I'll call a therapist!" Dirk shot back, getting to his feet. "At least then I'd be getting my money's worth!"

"And he's still on his feet and cracking jokes!" the Doppelganger, mimicking Dirk's voice perfectly, replied. "Still got any fight left?"

"Like you wouldn't believe!" Dirk yelled, crossing his arms. "**Powered-Up Mode!**"

Throwing his arms back down to his sides, the Orange Ranger became coated in orange light, drawing on as much earth elemental energy as he could in spite of his fatigue. Clutching his ax in both hands, he slammed it into the ground, sending an orange ray out through it and tearing the ground apart as it rushed toward the Doppelganger. However, the monster simply flipped over it, explosions in his wake, before being coated in black energy and locking axes with Dirk.

"Face it, Dirk!" the monster taunted. "Anything you can do, I can do better, and you don't even have enough strength to pull off your best! So how can you possibly beat me?!"

Dirk winced as he tried to hold his ground, only to find himself being pushed back inch by inch as the Doppelganger Lightless locked weapons with him. The fact was, he was running low on stamina, and he'd yet to even lay a single blow on his opponent. If he didn't do something soon, he was going to lose, and he knew it. What he didn't know was how to win.

* * *

"C'mon!" Madilyn yelled, hauling on Layla's wrist as they ran through a cave tunnel, knowing full well that the Fire Blots were behind them somewhere. "I hear water down this way! If we can trick 'em into following us, we can douse 'em all out, and-!"

Madilyn stopped dead in her tracks, in utter disbelief at what she saw. Sure enough, they'd reached the end of the cave, but there was no water. Instead, there was a large pond of oil. Black, flammable oil. The sheer sight of it made her shake in terror.

"Sis?!" Layla demanded, shaking her sister. "SIS! We've gotta come up with a plan!"

"I...I can't..." Madilyn replied, sounding like she was hyperventilating. "I can't think! I can't figure out how to stop them! I can't figure out how to protect you!"

"Madilyn, you've gotta calm down!" Layla shouted as she could hear the Fire Blots approaching. "Look, we can figure something out together!"

"NO, I CAN'T!" Madilyn insisted, pulling off her helmet to show Layla the sheer terror in her eyes. "I CAN'T STOP SHAKING! I CAN'T SAVE YOU! I CAN'T-!"

"STOP IT!" Layla screamed, shoving Madilyn against the stone walls of the cave and pulling her own helmet off. "I don't know why you're so scared, but you have to pull yourself together! And for the love of everything that is sane, stop thinking like YOU have to save ME! WE have to save EACH OTHER!"

Madilyn's eyes refocused on Layla's as she nodded hesitantly. "Right...Right, we've gotta save each other here..."

"Are you really that scared of fire?" Layla inquired, to which Madilyn shifted around nervously. "...It's about that fire, isn't it? That one we were in a few years back."

Madilyn looked away, ashamed. She didn't like to admit that she was scared, least of all to her sister, and especially not about this. Of course, Layla couldn't blame her in any way, shape or form for this. When they were in their early teens, she and Madilyn were both almost killed in a fire that consumed an entire apartment complex, and took the lives of Layla's friend, Tina, and her parents. It was the worst night of their lives, and for some reason, the mere sight and sound of those Fire Blots were making Madilyn relive it all again.

"I don't understand," Layla sighed. "We've faced opponents that use fire before, but you've never freaked. Why now?"

"I don't know, sis," Madilyn responded, tears forming in her eyes. "I just can't get it outta my head, ever since we got down here..."

Layla blinked, giving a quick glance around. "...Y'know, it's bizarre. Ever since we entered the well, I've had this weird feeling, like something didn't feel right."

"The Well of Regret," Madilyn muttered. "More like the Well of Scaring the Heck Outta People..."

Layla snapped her fingers. "Wait! Didn't Walker say something about facing our fears and doubts in this place?!"

Madilyn's eyes widened in shock. "...Yeah, he did! Why did I forget about that until now?!"

"Probably because you were so scared!" Layla suggested. "Although, come to think, I was scared too. When you were freaking out, I was terrified that something bad was going to happen to us."

"You were?" Madilyn asked. "Why?"

"I dunno," Layla admitted. "All I know is I've only ever felt that way once, when I had to take on that Frog Lightless."

"...Wait, is that it?" Madilyn demanded. "You only ever feel scared when I'm not there to help you?"

"Well, it's not JUST you," Layla noted quickly. "I guess I get panicky when I have to face danger alone. It IS kinda hard to feel like I can take on problems by myself when I have a track record of needing to be saved or blowing myself up in battle."

"...Yes, because clearly, YOU'RE the screw-up here," Madilyn said in a deadpan voice. "Besides, that was a long time ago, and you've gotten to be a much better fighter since then."

Layla smiled a little. "You really think so?"

"Of course!" Madilyn declared. "...Although, I guess it doesn't help much that I still act like big sis, trying to protect you from EVERYTHING. Not much room to develop self-confidence there."

Layla giggled a little, in spite of the situation. "Yeah, well I suppose you COULD ease up a bi-...Hey, is anybody else noticing something?"

Madilyn looked confused for a second before she took a sniff. "...I don't smell smoke. And I can't hear the Fire Blots!"

Exchanging a quick glance, the two ran back out of the cave into the forest. To their amazement, there was no smoke, no flames, no Fire Blots as far as the eye could see, and the forest looked completely undamaged.

"What in the-?" Madilyn asked, rubbing her eyes for a second. When she re-opened them, she and Layla weren't in the forest anymore. Instead, they were at the bottom of the Well of Regret, with their helmets back on, along with Nikki and Patrick.

"Wait, what?!" Layla demanded, looking around at the change of surroundings. "...Was all of that-?"

"Some kind of illusion," Nikki finished. "It's okay, the same thing happened to us."

"You two alright?" Patrick asked.

Layla sighed in relief before looking to her sister. "I dunno. Are we?"

Madilyn rubbed her arm, squirming a little. "...Yeah, I guess we are. What about Dirk?"

Nikki turned back to face the Orange Ranger, still coated in a dark aura. "Still facing his. And that aura around him has only been getting darker. Whatever he's facing, it's winning."

"Can't we get him outta there?!" Madilyn yelled.

"We've been trying, but nothing's worked to snap him outta it," Patrick replied. "Not even the Unicorn Crystal could peel the dark off of him."

"Wait a minute," Layla muttered, thinking the situation over. "Remember what Walker said? That the gauntlets would grant us enough power that we could use our crystals together to create a light stronger than the Unicorn Crystal's. If we had them, maybe we could harness our five elements together to break Dirk out of his illusion."

"But this is the only place in the well, and there's no sign of the gauntlets," Patrick noted.

Nikki removed her crystal from her Crystal Blast Morpher. "...Well then, we'll just have to try without them. It might be the only way to save Dirk."

The others nodded, albeit hesitantly, drawing their own crystals. One by one, they each held their crystals out toward Dirk's fist, where he'd been clutching the Behemoth Crystal after swapping it out of his blaster earlier.

"Element of Fire," Nikki called out calmly.

"Element of Wind," Patrick added.

"Element of Water," Layla declared.

"Element of Lightning," Madilyn finished, the four crystals shining brilliantly. Within moments, a dull, orange glow emanated from Dirk's fist. The glowing suddenly radiated across the team, causing their suits to temporarily appear coloured ruby, emerald, sapphire, amethyst, and amber before returning to red, green, blue, violet, and orange.

"Whoa, I think it's working!" Madilyn exclaimed.

"C'mon, Dirk," Nikki muttered. "Come back to us..."

* * *

Dirk cried out as he was tossed aside once again, the Doppelganger walking toward him menacingly while still assuming his form. The Orange Ranger was just barely managing to keep Powered-Up Mode up, his suit charred in places and his visor broken apart. He winced as he slowly pulled himself back to his feet, the Lightless laughing mockingly at him.

"Please, just stay down!" the Doppelganger suggested. "Your anger can only take you so far, you fool! You can't even touch me!"

Dirk groaned, nearly falling back to a knee, when suddenly he felt himself shimmer with amber light. "...What the-?"

"C'mon, Dirk," he heard Nikki's voice say. "Come back to us..."

"N-Nikki?" Dirk asked. "Is that you?"

"Dirk, whatever you're seeing, it's not real," Patrick's voice declared. "You've gotta snap out of it."

"But it feels so real...!" Dirk moaned.

"Talking to yourself, Dirk?" the Doppelganger asked. "Are you really THAT delirious?"

"Shut up!" Dirk yelled, swinging his ax at his opponent, only for the Lightless to dodge it, letting Dirk fall flat on his face.

"Dirk, you've got to calm down!" Madilyn cried. "Whatever's ticking you off in there, it's only making things worse!"

"But the Doppelganger...!" Dirk groaned. "No matter what I do, it just blocks it and brings me down! If I don't stop it, it'll destroy everyone!"

"Dirk, you've got to let it go," Layla insisted. "You destroyed the Doppelganger, but you haven't let the emotional wounds it inflicted heal. It's GONE, it can't destroy us. But you've gotta let it go, or it'll destroy YOU."

Dirk's eyes widened. It was true. Ever since the Doppelganger Lightless first appeared before him, he couldn't get what it had done to him slide. It'd entered his mind, used the image of his sister against him, taken on the form of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to turn what they were around, and even gave information to Walker that nearly got them all destroyed. With every act it perpetrated, it had only managed to anger him even more, even after it was destroyed, making the emotional wounds it'd inflicted all the more devastating. It'd made him so much quicker to resort to anger, violence, and even thoughts of vengeance.

"C'mon, get up!" the Doppelganger yelled. "I want to finish you off!"

Slowly but surely, Dirk pulled himself back up to his feet. However, rather than engage the Doppelganger again, he simply turned and began walking away from it, much to the monster's utter confusion.

"...W-Where are you going?!" the monster roared, returning to its natural form. "We're not finished yet! Are you a coward?!"

Dirk didn't stop or reply. He simply continued to walk away. The Doppelganger roared, running at him and shifting its arm into a chainsaw to slash him down from behind. However, just as it was about to make contact, Dirk stopped and held up his hand, catching the saw as it suddenly stopped, not harming him in the slightest. Dirk then almost effortlessly pushed back on it, knocking the Doppelganger to the ground.

"Forget it," Dirk said. "That black suit you wore, that darkness you said was in my heart? That's a path I want nothing to do with. I've seen what it does to people, and it's not exactly attractive to me. Now get lost."

The Doppelganger scowled in utter hatred before dissolving away into dark mist, being carried off into the wind. Dirk closed his eyes and sighed hard, finally feeling past what the monster had done to him. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the well, his suit undamaged, and his friends standing around him.

"You guys, you're all okay!" Dirk yelled, grabbing hold of everyone in a group hug and actually lifting them off the ground. "The Doppelganger...or, the fake version of him, I guess, said you guys were all in danger!"

"YOU were the one that was in the most danger," Nikki replied with a giggle as Dirk put them back down. "But you came back just fine, just like we knew you would."

"Actually, I feel BETTER than fine," Dirk corrected. "I feel better than I have in a couple of weeks now. I really wish I'd talked to you guys about everything a while ago, instead of keeping it bottled up."

"I think it's safe to say that we ALL had stuff we kept bottled up," Patrick pointed out.

Nikki nodded, holding her right hand out. "Agreed. From now on, no bottling from ANY of us, agreed?"

"_**Agreed!**_" the others declared, putting their hands together. Suddenly, a brilliant golden light appeared around their right hands. When it died down, they found that they all were wearing golden, fingerless gauntlets on their right hands. Each had a circular section on top with a smaller compartment in the centre for their crystals.

"Whoa, the Crystal Gauntlets!" Madilyn exclaimed as the team looked their gauntlets over.

"Where the heck did they come from?" Dirk wondered aloud.

"They've been here the whole time!" Patrick realized. "Even I couldn't see them, though!"

"I guess the well's power was keeping them hidden until we got over our problems!" Layla surmised. "Once it couldn't take advantage of our regrets, the Gauntlets appeared!"

Nikki nodded, holding hers up. "Well, we got what we came for! Now let's go teach Dargoon a lesson he'll never forget!"

* * *

Dargoon chuckled lowly as Walker, Darkea, and Sphantis all fell onto their backs outside the Wescentral City gates. All three had tried their best, but ultimately were unable to so much as scratch Dargoon's armour. As the Shadowmancer approached them, though, he felt motion behind him and raised his blade, blocking the pair of claw strikes from the Panther and Liger Lightless. Then, with one mighty swing, he utterly destroyed both in an explosion, gathering their mist into his own body.

"Really, Walker?!" Dargoon demanded. "You attacked me with Lightless?! That's like thinking you can fend off a shark by throwing fish into its mouth! You're going to have to try a little harder if you wanna beat me!"

"How's this?!" a voice yelled to Dargoon's left. Holding his blade out to block, Dargoon was nonetheless knocked back a few feet by five blasts of elemental energy shot at him. Lowering his Dragon Buster, he quickly discovered the source: The Power Rangers and their Gaia Blaster. They quickly opened fire again, only for Dargoon swing his blade so hard, it sent an energy slash straight through the five beams and connected with the Rangers' assembled weapon, blowing it apart into their separate weapons and knocking the Rangers down.

"Funny, I thought I'd already taught you five YOUR lesson!" Dargoon shouted as Walker, Darkea, and Sphantis decided to leave via portal.

"This time, we're taking YOU to school!" Nikki shot back as the five got back to their feet. "**Crystal Gauntlets!**"

The five raised their right fists, their golden gauntlets materializing onto them, as they held up their crystals and called out, "_**Guardians of Gaia, MINERAL MODE!**_" Inserting the crystals into their gauntlets, they each shimmered in light before expanding to fit the larger circular compartment in the gauntlets, now emblazoned with the image of their matching Gaia Zord. The five then threw their fists up as golden light poured out over them, turning the silver on their belts and Gaia Sabers gold, and adding gold trim to the top of their boots and golden armbands around their biceps. Finally, each of their suits' main colours changed to a shinier, more metallic colour.

"Ruby Ranger!" Nikki exclaimed as flames erupted around her.

"Emerald Ranger!" Patrick shouted as a green tornado whipped up.

"Sapphire Ranger!" Layla cried as crystal blue bubbles circled around her.

"Amber Ranger!" Dirk roared as the earth shook where he stood.

"Amethyst Ranger!" Madilyn called as violet lightning cracked in the sky.

The five Rangers struck a pose together as a large golden flash of light erupted all around them, followed by a gigantic, rainbow coloured explosion behind them. "_**Gaia Rangers, Mineral Mode!**_"

"Bring it on!" Dargoon roared, charging the group as they ran toward him. Nikki was first, jumping and spinning up before giving him a corkscrew kick to the chest, sending embers sailing off his armour. As he backed off, the Ruby Ranger gathered her hands together to her side before throwing them forward, firing a column of flames that blasted the Shadowmancer.

"Patrick, go!" Nikki yelled.

The Emerald Ranger flipped up over Nikki, proceeding to spin horizontally over and over and kicked Dargoon across his helmet relentlessly as he spun. After the eighth kick, he landed on his feet and threw his hands down, sending a harsh wind up that sent Dargoon skyward.

"Get him, Layla!" Patrick shouted.

The Sapphire Ranger shot up into the sky as a huge geyser burst up out of the ground underneath her, rocketing toward Dargoon. Drawing her Gaia Saber, she slashed across his armour hard, turning it to ice before guiding the water behind her with her hands to pour down on him, knocking him back to the ground and breaking some of the frozen pieces off.

"Let 'er rip, Dirk!" Layla exclaimed.

The Amber Ranger roared, slamming his fists down onto the ground and causing a boulder to actually shoot up in front of him. Slapping it hard, he sent it slamming into Dargoon before diving into the hole in the ground it'd created, burrowing underground before coming up right in front of the Shadowmancer, uppercutting him in the helmet.

"Get 'er done, Madilyn!" Dirk called.

The Amethyst Ranger dashed forward, fast as lightning, and drew her Gaia Saber, slashing it across Dargoon over and over, too fast for him to see. Finally, she leaped up into the air as a small lightning bolt flew down at her, catching it in her hand for a moment before hurling it at Dargoon like a spear, blasting him hard and sending him tumbling across the ground.

"Let's finish this!" Madilyn cried, landing on the ground next to the others.

"_**Ultra Ray!**_" the Rangers shouted together as they all threw their gauntleted hands forward, sending a beam of elemental light from each of their crystals out. The five beams quickly mixed together, forming a pure white sphere of light that engulfed Dargoon, shocking him hard with energy. Finally, it flew up into the sky, pulling the armour off of him, before exploding in a flash of light. The Dragon Sword stabbed into the ground, the crystals falling from it as dark mist poured off the Dragon Crystal, all while Dargoon's amber eyes turned to blue as he fell to the ground.

* * *

"They did it!" Professor Snyder cheered, watching the battle from the Viewing Globe. "They removed the curse!"

"Uh..." Jowar moaned as his eyes fluttered open, slowly sitting up. "Did anyone catch the license on that dragon that hit me?"

"Jowar, you're awake!" Charles exclaimed, turning back to face the old wizard. "The Rangers managed to remove the curse from Drayden!"

"What?" Jowar asked as the Professor helped him up, looking into the Viewing Globe. "...My goodness, what happened to them?"

"Your son told them how to find ancient gauntlets that would increase their power," Snyder explained. "They used them to remove the curse."

Jowar blinked in surprise. "...Walker did? ...How long was I out for, exactly?"

* * *

"Drayden, are you okay?" Nikki asked as the Rangers cautiously helped the boy to his feet.

"...I-I think so," Drayden moaned. "...Dargoon, is he-?"

"He's gone, Drayden," Dirk said quickly. "You're free of the curse."

Drayden's eyes widened, replaying everything that had happened. "...What have I done? He almost destroyed you!"

"It's alright, Drayden," Nikki assured him.

"No, you don't understand!" Drayden insisted. "I let him take control of me! I was aware the whole time we were merged! It wasn't until he nearly destroyed Jowar that I realized what he was doing was wrong, but by then, there was nothing I could do to stop him!"

"Aw man," Patrick sighed. "That's-"

"Uh, guys?" Madilyn interjected, pointing skyward. "I think we've still got trouble!"

Looking up to the sky, the Rangers and Drayden watched as the dark mist left over from the curse expanded and grew. To their horror, it formed a giant-sized version of Dargoon's armour, only with gigantic dragon-like wings sprouting from his back. He roared as he stomped down on the cliff overlooking Wescentral City.

"You removed my curse!" Dargoon shouted. "Now I'll destroy you all, and rip Gaia apart with my bare hands!"

"We'll see about that, you creep!" Nikki yelled as the team raised their gauntlets skyward. "**We need Gaia Zord power, now!**"

The Crystal Gauntlets shined brightly as they sent out gigantic rays of light into the sky. Within moments, the Rangers' five main Gaia Zords returned to action, looking to be fully restored and ready for some payback. The Rangers quickly leaped up, teleporting into the Zord cockpits, and plugging their blasters and sabers into their designated panels.

"Rangers, log on!" Nikki ordered.

"Hippogriff Zord's feeling luckier than ever!" Patrick replied.

"Leviathan Zord, all systems back online!" Layla responded.

"Behemoth Zord, back up and ready for more!" Dirk acknowledged.

"And Thunderbird is go!" Madilyn joked, the Thunderbird Zord cawing as it launched lightning blasts from its eyes at Dargoon. One by one, each of the team's Gaia Zords opened fire with their own weapons, blasting Dargoon relentlessly. Dargoon roared in pain before beating his wings, sending black energy pulses off of them that blasted the Zords back.

"Time for Megazord power!" Nikki yelled, drawing her Unity Crystal. "**Gaia Zords, combine!**"

The team quickly inserted their Unity Crystals into the Gaia Sabers, causing their Zords to spring up and shift their bodies around. The Zords then combined into the Rangers' giant robot as their cockpits came together in the head, the robot landing on its feet. "_**Gaia Megazord, power up!**_"

Dargoon growled, leaping off the ground and sailing toward the Megazord on his wings. He punched the giant robot in the head before kicking it in the chest with both feet, knocking it off its own. The Megazord quickly got back up, however, taking off on its own wings as the two giants flew toward each other.

"_**Storm Punch!**_" the Rangers called as the Gaia Megazord rammed the Shadowmancer with a flying double punch of fire and lightning. However, despite this blow, Dargoon sent a pair of high-powered black beams from his wings, knocking the Megazord back to the ground.

"No, they're losing!" Drayden cried from below. His eyes suddenly widened as he looked back down to the fallen Dragon Buster and his crystals. Thinking it over quick, he raced over and pulled the sword from the ground, inserting the Dragon Crystal inside.

"I need Dragon Zord power!" Drayden called, raising the Dragon Buster skyward. The sword sent out a brilliant indigo beam that summoned the Dragon Gaia Zord out of a dark cloud. It launched an indigo fireball out of its mouth at Dargoon, knocking the Shadowmancer out of the sky.

"Why, you good for nothing traitor!" Dargoon shouted, forming a ball of dark flames in his hands and hurling it at the Dragon Zord, which just barely managed to avoid the attack.

"Guys, Drayden's giving us the diversion we needed!" Nikki yelled. "Let's get back into this!"

"_**Right!**_" the others shouted as the Megazord got back to its feet, glimmering with golden light as it did so.

"Rangers, can you read me?!" the team heard Jowar call on the communicators.

"Jowar, you're okay!" Dirk exclaimed.

"Listen carefully, all of you!" Jowar declared. "With your new control over your elements, you should be able to bring the Auxiliary Zords together to form one combined weapon, the Gaiamax Staff! With it, you'll have more than enough power to destroy Dargoon's darkness once and for all!"

"Let's give it a try," Nikki suggested, inserting the Kitsune Crystal into her blaster. "Kitsune Zord, power up!"

"Turtle Zord, power up!" Layla called, placing the Turtle Crystal in her blaster.

"Unicorn Zord, power up!" Patrick shouted, plugging the Unicorn Crystal into his blaster. The three pulled their triggers, releasing pink, aquamarine, and silver lights that brought out the Auxiliary Gaia Zords.

"_**Auxiliary Zords, combine!**_" the team called as the Kitsune, Turtle, and Unicorn Zords twisted their bodies around to form a large staff of sorts with the Kitsune forming the shaft, the Unicorn's horn enlarging into a drill of sorts at the top, and the Turtle's shell connecting all the pieces together just under the drill. "_**Gaia Megazord, Gaiamax Staff!**_"

"Amazing!" Layla exclaimed. "Our power's through the roof, but it's staying completely stable!"

"It's gotta be the gauntlets!" Madilyn suggested. "They're keeping everything together, just like the Focus Crystal!"

"Alright, then let's see what this baby can do!" Dirk roared.

Dargoon quickly took notice of the Rangers' new assembled weapon, launching energy pulses from his wings at the Gaia Megazord. However, it was able to knock them all back with a twirl of the Gaiamax Staff, sending them colliding into Dargoon.

"Let's make this Shadowmancer wish he never came back!" Nikki yelled, the Megazord pouring power from all eight Zords together into the Gaiamax Staff as the drill spun with golden light.

"First I'll tear you apart, and then Gaia will be next!" Dargoon screamed, flying toward the Megazord.

"_**Gaiamax Finish!**_" the Rangers called, throwing their fists forward as the Gaia Megazord thrust the drill of the Gaiamax Staff straight through Dargoon's torso, revealing an empty shell filled with black mist. The Megazord pulled the weapon back out as Dargoon fell to the ground, his armour exploding as the mist that made up what was left of him evaporated into thin air.

"Next time, don't mess with the Power Rangers!" Nikki shouted in victory.

* * *

Darkea shifted uncomfortably a bit as she, Walker, and Sphantis sat in the Dark Chamber together. "...Okay, let's think positive news: Dargoon is gone, and we all get to live."

"That good," Sphantis agreed, sitting on the edge of the table.

"On the negative side, the Rangers have far more power than ever, AND the Guardian of Darkness is working for them," Walker replied, rocking nervously in his chair.

"That bad," Sphantis moaned, shaking his head.

"But we ensured the continued survival of my father's army of darkness, and we're sure to be rewarded for that," Darkea noted.

"That good," Sphantis responded with a nod.

"We WILLINGLY showed the Rangers how to gain the Gauntlets and become a greater threat," Walker argued. "I think that counteracts our reward, AND the current state of their team means Lord Dradarius is almost certain to take matters into his own hands, and you KNOW how much he HATES having to look after his generals' mistakes."

Sphantis blinked, glancing back and forth between the two Shadowmancers before they both looked at him and said, "_**That's bad.**_"

"So, what now?" Darkea asked. "I mean, we're just doomed?"

Walker scratched his chin, deep in thought. "...Well, we do have ONE option available to us, if we want to gain any sort of advantage over the Rangers. However, I'm afraid this may go a long way to redefining the term 'drastic measures'..."

Darkea groaned, realizing what her brother meant as she rubbed her temples. "Oh no...Sphantis, grab me some painkillers, I think I'm getting a headache."

* * *

About an hour later, the Rangers, all demorphed, met up with Jowar and the professor outside the gates of Wescentral City. They were all looking exhausted and concerned, for after the battle with Dargoon, the Dragon Zord had flown away, and when they went to meet up with Drayden down at the city's front gates, he was nowhere to be seen.

"No luck?" Charles asked.

Nikki shook her head. "I'm sorry. We looked everywhere, and we couldn't even pick up anything that looked like a trail."

"I'll bet anything he flew away with the Dragon Zord," Layla guessed. "It's the only way he could've escaped without us being able to track him."

"But why take off anyway?" Dirk asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Wait, didn't he say something before, about letting Dargoon take over his body?" Madilyn suggested.

Patrick nodded, snapping his fingers. "Right, that he was letting him have his way until Jowar got put in a coma, and after that he was too deep to fight his way out of it."

"Dargoon must've played some sort of trick on Drayden to make him go along with it," Jowar surmised. "For him to have to bear witness to all that his decision resulted in, he must've felt too ashamed to face us, especially his father."

"So, that's it?!" Professor Snyder demanded. "He's just gone again, like that?!"

"We WILL find him, Professor Snyder," Madilyn insisted. "I mean, if he really did escape using the Dragon Zord, no way he got away clean, right? Someone HAD to see where he was headed."

Layla nodded in agreement, just as a voice, seemingly out of nowhere, whispered in her ear, "_She's a liar..._"

"Huh?" Layla asked, looking around.

"Sis?" Madilyn inquired. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just thought I heard something..." Layla muttered, unaware of the the lingering dark aura present in her shadow for a split second.

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ So, let's once again recap some of the new stuff shown off this chapter. Mineral Mode is kind of like MMPR's Metallic Armour meets Lost Galaxy's Lights of Orion. It grants them increased strength, speed, stamina, and control over their respective elements, and the armour not only adds protection, but it also acts as a containment for the power, meaning the Rangers don't have a limited time to use this form, unlike Powered-Up Mode. Also, because they have better control over their five elements, and can safely harness the element of light better, they can also use the Auxiliary Zord combos without having to rely on the Focus Crystal.

The Gaiamax Staff is based around the Power Staff used by Dragonzord Battle Mode, in that it's a long lance with a drill on top and a sort of shield mounted just under said drill. Honestly, I'd originally planned for the eight Zords to form one Megazord, but I quickly decided against it. As much as I love RPM, and as much as I love Shinkenger (seriously, if you want a good Samurai-themed Ranger series, avoid Power Rangers Samurai and just watch the Sentai it was based off of), I have to admit that some of their Zord combos were a bit too clustered, though the worst offender is the one that was in Goseiger vs Shinkenger. I feel awful for the poor individual that had to construct that costume, and even worse for whoever had to WEAR it. O_O

Also, for anyone disappointed by the ending of this arc, don't worry, this is not the last you'll be seeing of Drayden or his Zords. In fact, I daresay we'll be seeing a lot of them shortly. There's just a bigger story that I want to tell with Drayden, and it involves him being away from the main action for a little bit. Please be patient, it will all pay off in the end.

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, the Rangers are faced with a monster that can wield flames capable of altering a person's mind, leading to Madilyn actually taking away Layla's Crystal Blast Morpher! What IS the secret she's been hiding from Layla? The truth will shock you! Ja né!


	17. Sisters

**_DISCLAIMER:_**** I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Layla sighed, watching all the couples riding around on the Ferris wheel. They were all laughing, sharing ice cream, and she was certain they were kissing when they were at the top, where no one could see them. She hated to admit to this, but she envied every single one of them so much, all getting to spend a wonderful day together, when all she had to share the day at the exhibition was...

"Hey sis!" Madilyn called, her violet-streaked ponytail bouncing as the teen jogged over to Layla. "There you are! You get lost in your boredom or something?"

Layla rolled her eyes, fidgeting with her pigtails. "Do you HAVE to watch me like a hawk all the time?"

"C'mon, that's what big sisters do!" Madilyn proclaimed. "Maybe you'll learn, if Mom and Dad ever decide to have another kid!"

"You just wanna boss around ANOTHER kid sister..." Layla muttered, looking back to the Ferris wheel. Quickly spotting out her sister's depressed mood, Madilyn grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to the Ferris wheel, buying her way to the head of the line despite Layla's protests and getting in a car with her.

"There, better?" Madilyn asked as the wheel started turning.

"You didn't HAFTA do that, y'know," Layla grumbled, her arms folded.

"C'mon, sis, what's got ya looking all blue for?" Madilyn inquired.

Layla's eyes narrowed, looking away. "I just...I see all the girls and their boyfriends having fun, and...I get sad."

"Because you don't have a boyfriend?" Madilyn asked.

"Ha!" Layla scoffed. "Like I want some gross boy slobbering all over me!"

Madilyn blinked, confused. "...So, what's the problem?"

Layla blushed hard. "Just 'cuz I don't want a boyfriend, that doesn't mean I don't wanna go on dates with someone special..."

Madilyn's eyes widened, getting what Layla was saying. "Oh...And you're scared that if you did that, people at school would treat you like they did Linda Scott from Miss Enrilé's class?"

"Well, yeah!" Layla admitted. "I mean, c'mon, mashed potatoes in her gym shoes?! And the teachers wouldn't even do anything!"

"You know you wouldn't have to worry about stuff like that!" Madilyn declared. "Because if anyone ever wanted to try something on you, they know they'd have ME to deal with, and NO ONE messes with my little sister!"

Layla smiled a little. "I guess that's true...Thanks, Madilyn."

Madilyn leaned forward, giving her sister a hug. "Anytime, sis...So, now that we've got that out of the way, who exactly did you have in mind, and what are your intentions with them?"

"SIS!" Layla whined, albeit through a fit of the giggles. "...Well, I mean, I was THINKING...maybe, Tina Mauve?"

"HOW'D I guess?" Madilyn asked, giggling as well. "I mean, you two are practically mirrors of each other. So, when were you thinking of asking her?"

"Well, I mean, I'm going over to her house for that sleep-over tomorrow night-" Layla started to say.

"Yeah, you're not going without me to supervise," Madilyn immediately cut in.

"Oh, C'MON!" Layla wailed. "Do you hafta?!"

"Like I said, no one messes with my little sister," Madilyn replied with a quick wink.

"I hate you, you know that, right?" Layla asked, to which Madilyn just giggled...right before a massive column of flames shot up all around her, engulfing her completely. "SIS!"

"**She is a liar!**" a voice echoed as the fire raged on, Layla backing away in the small car. "**Follow the flames!**"

Layla's eyes shot open, panting hard. She quickly brought a hand up to her face, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she tried to calm herself. The sound of light snoring could be heard to her immediate left, as Madilyn slept like the loudest log in all of Gaia right next to her.

_Again?_ Layla thought, laying her head back on her pillow. _That's the third nightmare in a row, and they all have the same connection: The flames, and Tina. What does it mean? Did our illusion in the Well of Regret just bring all the memories back, or is it something else?_

"Nnng, my head's a pizza, hold the anchovies..." Layla heard Madilyn moan in her sleep, getting a small giggle out of her and breaking her out of her terror.

_That's my big sis: Always looking out for me, even in her sleep,_ Layla thought, snuggling up to her as she tried to drift back to sleep.

* * *

Darkea sighed hard, leaning back in her chair. After the battle between the Rangers and Dargoon, Walker had decided that some drastic measures would have to be taken in order to eliminate them. As such, he'd left her in charge of the Dark Chamber while he went to go execute his new plans, even leaving the Dark Staff of the Wyvern to her in case anything should come up where she might need it.

"Yes, because I REALLY need your staff to help fend off all of the dangerous BOREDOM," Darkea grumbled, looking at the item in question before her eyes widened, an idea popping up in her head. "...Come to think of it, if I can destroy the Rangers with a Lightless, we won't even need those measures."

"Sure that good idea?" Sphantis mumbled from across the chamber as he worked on his house of cards.

"Is doing nothing but sitting on our hands and waiting for Walker to come home a good idea?" Darkea asked, picking up the staff.

Sphantis thought for a moment before replying, "Not best."

"Then maybe you should just let me worry about this one," Darkea suggested, looking over the Lightless figurines before settling on one with an evil smirk. "...So, you ARE in our collection. You'll do quite nicely, then..."

* * *

"Okay, let's go over this again," Jowar said as he, the Rangers, and Professor Snyder crowded around the Viewing Globe, the old wizard making small points on the map. "The Dragon Zord was spotted headed over Mt. Stormwise by a few forest elves living at its base. From there, it traveled west, over the North Jade Ocean, until it apparently touched down in Lyrewood."

"Which we combed yesterday with the centaurs that lived near there," Nikki noted. "Other than that campfire he'd made for himself, there was no trace of Drayden, meaning he must've moved on as soon as he was done resting up."

"Just like he learned in that summer camp he went to one year," Professor Snyder observed. "He learned a number of survival tricks, tactics, and methods there."

"So, on the plus side, we know he's okay," Dirk said. "The downside is, we don't know where he is or what he's going through, and until we find him, we'll never know the latter."

"But, now that the word is out about him, it's only a matter of time until someone spots him," Madilyn assured the professor.

Charles nodded. "I know. I just, it's hard, knowing that he's out there, dealing with this pain, and I can't help him."

"We WILL find him, Charles, even if-" Jowar started to say until the alarm cut him off, the Viewing Globe quickly zooming in on a gnome village being attacked by about 50 Blots or so. "Go, we'll keep track of things from here!"

Nikki nodded. "Got it. **It's Morphin Time!**"

At this call, the team pulled their crystals from their chains, unholstered their Crystal Blast Morphers, and placed the crystals inside. They then raised their blasters skyward, pulling the triggers and calling out, "_**Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_" The rainbow coloured blasts shot out, spiraling around each other in the air above the team, before doubling back and coating them with energy, their Ranger suits materializing over their clothes. Once morphed, the Rangers were teleported to the village, cutting the Blots off from their target.

"That's far enough, Blots!" Nikki yelled, the shadowy monsters growling in response.

"_**Power Rangers, Guardians of Gaia!**_" the Rangers yelled as they posed, their suits shining with light in the form of their various elements. They quickly drew their Gaia Sabers, charging in for a fight, only for a massive, meteor-like fireball to slam down on the Blots, destroying them in an explosion that sent the Rangers flying back into the sides of huts while a pair of houses close to the explosion caught fire.

"What was THAT?!" Nikki demanded as the team got back to their feet.

"Look!" Layla called, pointing at a hulking but feminine brute of a monster with smoke coming off her shoulders and knees floated down from the sky into the flames, absorbing them into her being.

"You must be the new Guardians," the monster guessed in a likewise demonic voice that had a female tone to it. "I am the Efreet Lightless, dominator of dark flames."

"Your fire's got nothing on my water!" Layla yelled. "**Crystal Gauntlet!**"

Just as the Blue Ranger summoned her golden gauntlet, the Efreet Lightless raised her hand, forming a cerulean flame in her palm and aiming it at Layla. The very presence of this flame suddenly made Madilyn's skin pale, her eye twitching as visions of Layla surrounded in flames just like it filled her head.

"**LOOK OUT!**" Madilyn screamed, tackling Layla to the ground before she could insert her Leviathan Crystal into her Gauntlet, the cerulean flame shooting over their heads and hitting a hut. Oddly enough though, the flame left no visible scorch marks.

"Sis!" Layla groaned. "What do you think you're-"

"Rangers, you must avoid that flame at all costs!" Jowar shouted over the communicators. "That cerulean flame doesn't burn bodies or objects, it burns MINDS, warping one's mind in unpredictable ways! Memories, personality traits, anything can be changed when a person is hit with them!"

"Okay, THAT doesn't sound good!" Patrick replied.

"Grr, I won't miss again!" the Efreet Lightless growled, preparing another attack.

"**Crystal Gauntlet!**" Dirk roared, bringing out his gauntlet and placing the Behemoth Crystal inside. "**Guardians of Gaia, MINERAL MODE!**"

The Behemoth Crystal glowed brightly before expanding to fit in the gauntlet, golden light emblazoning it with the image of the Behemoth Zord. Dirk threw his fist up as golden light poured out from the gauntlet all over him, turning the silver on his belt and Gaia Saber gold, and adding gold trim to the top of his boots and golden armbands around his biceps. Finally, the orange on his suit changed to a shiny amber.

"Amber Ranger!" Dirk shouted as he slammed the ground with both fists, bringing up slabs of earth between the Efreet Lightless and his friends. The cerulean flames were blocked off by the slabs, causing the monster to switch to a white flame that began to melt through the stone.

"It's no good!" Layla cried. "I've gotta go Sapphire Ranger!"

"No!" Madilyn yelled, yanking the Leviathan Crystal from her little sister's grasp. "I'll deal with this! **Bronzooka!**"

Calling out the team's bronze bazooka, Madilyn inserted the Leviathan and Focus Crystals into the weapon, a targeting scope sliding out to let her lock onto the Efreet Lightless. "Locked on! **Bronzooka, FIRE!**"

Pulling the trigger, Madilyn launched an effigy of the Leviathan Zord at the Efreet Lightless, ploughing straight through her white flames. The blast connected with the monster, however, it failed to destroy her, only knocking her back a few feet. The Lightless growled, clutching her left shoulder as smoke ceased to pour from it.

"You're lucky I'm not on a full tank for fire right now!" the Efreet declared. "Next time, you won't be so lucky!"

With that, the monster threw her hands up, sending a column of flames up around herself. When they died off, she was gone, having apparently teleported away to recover. Madilyn grit her teeth in anger, clutching the Bronzooka hard as the others watched on, unsure of just what had just possessed her to go so extreme.

* * *

"Okay, you wanna explain just what the heck happened back there?!" Nikki demanded as the demorphed group returned to the Ancient Library.

"I was trying to take out that monster before she fried us!" Madilyn explained in a huff. "Us or our memories! I mean, c'mon, what if one of us got hit by that thing?!"

"Look, no one's arguing that," Dirk replied, trying to be the voice of reason. "Heck, I've had enough of my memories getting messed with to last me a lifetime. Still, you should've let Layla handle it. Her mastery of the water element makes her the perfect counter to the Efreet Lightless' fire."

"**Absolutely not!**" Madilyn yelled, causing everyone to wince a little. "She's my little sister! I'm not gonna put her in harm's way just so I can use her as a weapon!"

"Hey, I thought we were done with the whole over-protectiveness shenanigans!" Layla shot back.

"Also, no one's talking about using anyone as a weapon!" Patrick defended. "We're a team, and we each have our own specialties!"

"Yeah, except that I have ZERO say in whether I want Layla to be put in extreme danger or not, even though she's a member of my family!" Madilyn argued. "How would you like it if you had a little sister who was the Blue Ranger, Pat?! And Layla, you get on my back for this, but if you were the older sibling, do you think you'd act any different?!"

Everyone shifted a little, not knowing how to answer before Madilyn went on. "That's what I thought. So, I'm gonna do what I should've done when I first got here."

Without warning, Madilyn snatched Layla's blaster clean out of its holster. "HEY! Sis, what the-?!"

"Layla, you've done great as the Blue Ranger, and I really AM proud of you," Madilyn said calmly. "But I have to do what is necessary to protect my little sister, and to do what Mom and Dad would want me to do. So I'm sorry, but it's over."

"That's not your call!" Nikki yelled. "Return that Morpher, NOW!"

"MAKE ME, 'BOSS'!" Madilyn shouted back.

"**ENOUGH!**" Jowar roared, slamming his staff down and sending off a golden shockwave that silenced everyone. "We have more than enough issues without anyone arguing until they're blue in the face! Madilyn and Nikki, I want you to settle your issues, NOW!"

Madilyn scowled in anger at the old wizard before turning her glance back to Nikki. She tilted her head toward a hallway, Nikki getting the idea and following her down it, quickly parting from the rest of the team.

"...Wow," Patrick said, still a bit stunned. "Jowar, you da man."

"Sometimes it's necessary to assert myself a bit," Jowar replied, taking a seat.

"You really think Nikki can convince sis to give me back my Morpher?" Layla asked.

"Hey, if anyone can talk some sense into Lt. Bullheaded, it's CAPTAIN Bullheaded," Dirk joked.

"...I'm sorry, which of our Zords actually HAS horns?" Patrick inquired as he headed over to the table.

"There ya go, ha ha..." Dirk muttered, following after.

Layla sighed, watching the two walk off without her. She couldn't help but stare down the hall that Nikki and Madilyn had gone down. First the situation in the Well of Regret, now the Efreet Lightless. Added together with the dreams she'd been having, and there was no doubt in her mind: Madilyn was still keeping something from her. The only question was, how to find out what?

"_Follow the flames..._" she heard the voice whisper.

_...Follow the flames?_ Layla wondered. _Getting knee deep in flames only gets me further into trouble...unless, by flames, it means Nikki. If I wanna know what's going on, should I follow Nikki and see what happens?_

* * *

Nikki sighed, reaching the top of the library bell tower. "Alright, now what is ACTUALLY going on? You haven't been like this in a long time."

"Hey, you're the one that said it was okay for me to be the sporadic one!" Madilyn accused.

"Yeah, when it comes to helping the team, not tossing a member off of it!" Nikki defended.

"Look, I just don't want my sister going anywhere near those flames again, okay?!" Madilyn shouted. "Is that so wrong?!"

Nikki blinked as things started to connect in her head. "...You've seen those flames before, haven't you?"

"I don't know what you mean," Madilyn replied, looking away.

"Yes you do," Nikki went on. "The second you saw those cerulean flames, you jumped on Layla. You knew what they were before Jowar contacted us."

Madilyn didn't say anything, palms planted down on the stone windowsill of the bell tower, leaving Nikki to ask, "...Was it that fire?"

Madilyn's eyes widened, spinning around to face Nikki. "How did you know about-?!"

"Layla told me, after what happened in the Well of Regret," Nikki explained as she folded her arms. "That's it, isn't it?"

Madilyn's glance fell to the stone floor. "...Yes."

"Patrick and Jowar once mentioned that Earth and Gaia are affected by one another," Nikki recalled. "So, somehow, some of that fire made it through the dimensions?"

Madilyn nodded. "...Yes. It did."

"What happened?" Nikki asked.

"You know what happened," Madilyn answered, turning away.

"No, I don't think I do," Nikki argued. "I think I know what Layla knows, and I'm starting to think she doesn't know what actually happened that night. She was affected by those flames, wasn't she?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!" Madilyn yelled, facing Nikki as tears started to stream down her face. "Darn you, Nikki, PLEASE! Just let it go!"

Nikki stood her ground, unflinching. "...I want to. Thing is, I don't think you do."

Madilyn panted hard, falling to her knees. "...It was...it was the worst night of my life. It was the night I lost EVERYTHING, my whole life..."

Nikki sat down next to Madilyn, rubbing her shoulders as she went on. "Layla was staying for a sleep-over with Tina. They were really close, and they were practically twins, they were so similar...That night, we woke up to the smell of smoke, and the sound of fire. It was EVERYWHERE. I managed to find Layla, but she was surrounded by cerulean flames. She should've been burning, but she wasn't. She fell unconscious, but she wasn't hurt."

Nikki nodded, holding Madilyn. "...Go on."

"A fireman managed to find us," Madilyn explained. "We were both taken to the hospital, but neither one of us was really hurt...But Tina, and...They didn't...And there was nothing I could do!"

Nikki's eyes widened as Madilyn started breaking down into sobs. "Wait, what are you saying?"

Madilyn looked into Nikki's eyes as tears continued to fall down her cheeks. "There was nothing I could do! She was gone! She was my little sister, and she was gone!"

Nikki's jaw dropped a little as she realized it all. "Tina was your sister? Then Layla-"

"Was like a second sister to me," Madilyn went on while crying. "They were so alike...And then, when she woke up, for some reason..."

"She thought you were her sister," Nikki finished. "The flames mixed up her and Tina's memories so that she thought you were her sister."

"Her parents had already said they would take me in," Madilyn continued. "And when Layla woke up, calling me her sister...None of us knew what to say to her."

"So you just went along with it?" Nikki asked, a little disturbed.

"I know it's messed up, okay?!" Madilyn yelled, burying her face in Nikki's shoulder. "I know it's supremely screwed up that we'd lie to her like that! But I...I'd lost my family, I lost my little sister, and now someone who was almost EXACTLY like her...Would you have told her the truth?! Would you let her go?!"

Nikki looked away, baffled. "I...I don't know. I guess it WOULD be hard."

"I just couldn't lose her again," Madilyn moaned through her sobs. "And now...What if those flames got her again? What if it screws her up even more? I don't know if I could go through that, Nikki! I'm just terrified that I could lose her again!"

Nikki sighed, wiping her own stray tears away. "I know, Madilyn. I DO get it. But Layla's grown up now, and you can't protect her from everything. And trying to shield her from everything, just because she reminds you of what you lost...I don't know that that's right."

"I know," Madilyn muttered, wiping her face on her sleeve. "I just can't not see her as my little sister."

"Even if she was your little sister, would that really make this okay?" Nikki asked.

Madilyn looked down at Layla's Morpher, still clutched in her hand. "...No. No, it wouldn't. And she's grown enough that she can look after herself. I just get so scared, is all."

Nikki opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but was quickly cut off as Jowar's voice called over the communicators, "Nikki, Madilyn, if you've settled your issues, you should know that the Efreet Lightless has returned. Dirk and Patrick have already gone ahead."

Madilyn gave her head a quick shake. "What about Layla?"

"She went for a walk around the library, and for some reason isn't answering her communicator," Jowar answered. "I'll keep trying to make contact."

"She's probably ticked at me..." Madilyn muttered.

"You two can make up later," Nikki said, getting to her feet and offering Madilyn a hand. "You up for this?"

Madilyn took in a deep breath before taking Nikki's hand, letting her pull her up to her feet. "Nikki? Sometimes, I think you'd be a better big sister than me."

"Well, everyone's got a different approach," Nikki noted. "C'mon, we better teleport to the others."

Madilyn nodded. The two quickly hit the yellow gems on their communicators, teleporting away to meet with Patrick and Dirk. Once they were gone, Layla stepped out from behind the corner of the hall leading to where they were, her eyes red from crying harder than she'd ever remembered doing in her whole life.

"...She lied to me..." Layla said to herself, a dark energy coming out of her shadow in plain view. "...You. You're that same energy from the well. You piggybacked off me out of there."

"_I sensed the hint of your sister's greatest regret lying inside of you,_" the energy whispered as it reformed into a shadowy version of Layla, now mimicking her voice. "Having bared witness to the promise you all made, the contract by which you obtained the Crystal Gauntlets, I felt compelled to follow, to ensure that she wouldn't break her promise."

"So, what happens now?" Layla asked. "I mean, she's not my sister, I know that. But, my memories..."

"I'm afraid your mind doesn't hold the answer you seek," Layla's shadow answered. "You're going to have to look inside your heart if you want answers. The cerulean flame cannot touch that."

Layla blinked, holding a hand to her chest and closing her eyes. "...My heart has the answers?"

"Your heart, and only your heart, knows the truth of truths..." the shadow replied before fading away, leaving Layla to think on her own. As moments passed, her eyes eventually opened, having come to a conclusion.

* * *

"Gah!" Dirk groaned as he and the others were knocked to the ground, their suits still smoking a bit from the Efreet Lightless' last attack. "Okay, this monster seriously needs to chill out!"

"We've just gotta hold out for now!" Nikki insisted.

"If Layla was here, we could douse this sucker, no problem!" Patrick exclaimed as he and the others dragged themselves back to their feet.

"Life is full of 'Could have's', green one," the Efreet Lightless mocked as she walked slowly over to the others. "Not that it'll matter much to you all, when my cerulean flame is through with you."

Madilyn growled, raising her and Layla's blasters and giving the Efreet Lightless a double dose of lightning and water. This caused her to back off a bit, but the monster quickly retaliated with a pair of fireballs, knocking her back down and sending the blasters tumbling. She then shot out a wave of heat that knocked the other Rangers away.

"Just for that, you go first!" the Efreet Lightless roared, charging up a column of cerulean flames and aiming it at Madilyn.

"MADILYN!" Nikki, Dirk, and Patrick all cried as the flames shot out toward the Violet Ranger, only for an aquamarine saw-like energy slash to collide with the fire, dousing it. Everyone immediately turned to face the source: Layla, armed with her Gaia Saber. The blonde quickly ran in, standing next to Madilyn and keeping her blade held up defensively.

"Sis!" Madilyn exclaimed. "Where'd you-"

"Stop," Layla said simply. Madilyn looked into her eyes, and in that one, terrifying moment, she knew. How, when, it didn't matter. She knew that Layla knew the truth, and in that moment, she felt her heart break.

"...Layla, I-" Madilyn started to say.

"Stop trying to protect me," Layla went on. "Remember what I said in the well? We save each other from now on."

Madilyn blinked in confusion as Layla's face softened a little. "That's what sisters do. It doesn't matter if it's just in our heads, we ARE sisters. I mean, there's no way we could get on each other's nerves this much if we weren't."

Dirk turned to Patrick, baffled. "...Are we outta the loop here or what?"

"Just a smidgen," Pat agreed.

Madilyn got back to her feet, scooping up the fallen blasters. "...Well, I think you're gonna need this, then."

Layla nodded, taking her Morpher back before facing the Efreet Lightless. "Right. **It's Morphin Time!**" Layla pulled the trigger, the Crystal Blast Morpher letting out a blue flash of light that materialized her suit onto her.

"Bring it on, you weaklings!" the Efreet Lightless called.

"_**Crystal Gauntlets!**_" Layla and Madilyn called, bringing forth their gauntlets and inserting their crystals. "_**Guardians of Gaia, MINERAL MODE!**_"

The Leviathan and Thunderbird Crystals suddenly expanded to fit in their gauntlets as golden light emblazoned them with the images of their matching Zords. The two Rangers threw their fists up as golden light poured out from the gauntlets, turning their silver belts and Gaia Saber gold, and adding the additional golden armour. Finally, their suits changed from blue and violet to sapphire and amethyst.

"Sapphire Ranger!" Layla cried as crystal sapphire bubbles spun around her.

"Amethyst Ranger!" Madilyn shouted as amethyst lightning cracked across the sky.

The two crossed their Gaia Sabers before them, a large golden flash of light erupting all around them along with a blue and violet coloured explosion behind them. "_**Storm Sisters!**_"

The Efreet Lightless roared, rushing the two while lobbing fireballs. Layla and Madilyn proceeded to slash them apart before thrusting their sabers into the monster's shoulders, causing them both to stop pouring out smoke. The Sapphire Ranger then called forth a geyser to blast out of the ground under the Efreet, sending her sailing up into the air, just as Madilyn summoned a thunderbolt from the sky, frying her in electricity that was only made worse by the water soaking her from below.

"Let's finish her off!" Layla yelled.

"You're on!" Madilyn replied. "**Lightning Daggers!**"

"**Flood Launcher!**" Layla called, the two bringing out their weapons. Charging all their energy into the weapons, Layla opened fire with a massive wave of water, while Madilyn swung waves of lightning from her daggers. The three blasts collided with the Efreet Lightless, causing her body to erupt into an explosion as dark smog rose into the air.

"Nice shot!" Madilyn commented, high fiving Layla.

"You too, sis!" Layla replied with a smile.

"That was amazing, you two!" Patrick exclaimed as the others ran up, just in time to see the dark smog reform itself into a giant-sized version of the Efreet Lightless. "Whoa, that was fast!"

"The Efreet's supposed to master fire, so it must already have the dark flames needed to grow!" Layla guessed.

"We'll see how hot she feels!" Nikki yelled as the team raised their gauntlets and sabers skyward. "**We need Gaia Zord power, now!**"

The Rangers' gauntlets and sabers shot out five beams of light that spiraled across the sky. Within moments, the team's five main Gaia Zords arrived on the scene, the Rangers teleporting up into their cockpits and plugging in their weapons.

"Okay Rangers, time for Megazord power!" Nikki ordered, drawing her Unity Crystal.

"_**Gaia Zords, combine!**_" the team called, inserting their Unity Crystals into the Gaia Sabers. The Zords immediately sprung up and shifted their bodies around, combining into the Rangers' giant robot as their cockpits connected in the head. "_**Gaia Megazord, power up!**_"

"I'll melt your Megazord down into a puddle, Rangers!" the Efreet Lightless roared, tossing a pair of fireballs at the robot and knocking it back a bit.

"Whoa!" Patrick yelled as sparks flew in the cockpit. "We better call on the Gaiamax Staff!"

"Right!" Nikki replied, pulling her Kitsune Crystal. "Kitsune Zord-!"

"I think not!" the Efreet shouted, shooting black smog at the Megazord's hands, which formed into dark chains.

"What the heck?!" Dirk demanded.

"She's wrapped up the Megazord's hands!" Layla cried. "We can't use any of the weapons like this!"

The Efreet Lightless laughed, holding her hands above her head and forming a gigantic, meteor-like fireball. "Now I'll burn you all down to cinders!"

The Rangers cringed, trying to break free of the chains. Suddenly, before the Efreet could launch her attack, a howl and a roar echoed throughout the area, just before the White Wolf and Black Lion Gaia Zords leaped over the bound Megazord. The two Zords bit and clawed at the monster, knocking her back as her attack hovered in mid-air. They then looked back to the Megazord, the Phoenix and Thunderbird Zords suddenly cawing at them. The Zords proceed to converse in their own animal language, leaving the Rangers confused.

"Drayden's Zords?!" Madilyn inquired. "What are they saying to each other?!"

Dirk blinked. "I...I think they wanna switch arms?"

"Let's give it a try!" Nikki suggested. "Zords, attach!"

The Wolf and Lion Zords flipped up into the air, forming new arms for the Gaia Megazord as the Phoenix and Thunderbird Zords detached to make room. The white and black Zords came down, connecting to the Megazord as the five Zords pooled their energy together.

"_**Gaia Megazord, Double Fangs****!**_" the team called.

"That trick won't save you!" the Efreet Lightless shouted, bringing down her massive fireball at the team. Just as it came down, though, the Wolf and Lion Zords' jaws opened wide, releasing a pair of dark energy orbs that blew the much larger attack apart. "Wh-What?!"

"Let's get the job done!" Nikki ordered, the Wolf, Lion, and Behemoth Zords charging up a trio of energy orbs in their jaws.

"_**Triplex Roar!**_" the Rangers yelled, firing the triple barrage of energy orbs at the monster. She screeched as the blasts overloaded her with energy before collapsing in a gigantic explosion. Dark mist poured out from where her body once stood, only for it to evaporate into the sky. Once it was gone, though, the Wolf and Lion Zords immediately disengaged from the Megazord, bit the chains off the Phoenix and Thunderbird Zords, and took off faster than the team could see.

* * *

Nikki groaned as she climbed into bed. "There's no doubt: Drayden MUST'VE been nearby. It's the only way he'd know to send his Zords to help, and they only obey whoever holds the Dragon Crystal."

"Well, wherever he was, he definitely wasn't anywhere near the area when we searched, meaning he must've hitched a ride with the Zords when they took off," Dirk noted with a sigh.

"Wish he would just let us help him," Patrick said. "I know he's going through a lot, but we could help him through it."

"I guess some people are harder to get to accept than others," Layla suggested as she got under the covers.

Madilyn looked to her and Layla's bed hesitantly, the latter catching her glance before she turned to head back out. "...I guess I'll see about having Jowar set up a new-"

"Madilyn," Layla said, stopping her. "...Look, three things, okay? One, no more over-protectiveness, no excuses. Two, no more secrets. Three, you and I are gonna have a LONG talk with Mom and Dad when we get home."

Madilyn nodded sadly. "...Okay."

"Good," Layla replied before grinning. "Now get in this bed. I DESPERATELY need some sleep, and I need my big sis to do it."

Madilyn smiled, looking like she might cry, before shaking it off and climbing into bed. The others all smiled, too, before turning to get some sleep, letting the two sisters snuggle up in their bed.

"Oh, and no more spying on me and Faye," Layla added, sticking her tongue out.

Madilyn's eyes narrowed. "...Oh, you are DEVIOUS."

Layla giggled, cuddling her sister. "Well, I had a great teacher."

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ Okay, you can all send me comments telling me how much you hate me now. LOL I will say that I've been planning this particular twist for about 10 chapters or so. If you go back and re-read some chapters, you can probably see where I planted hints about this. Heck, it also goes a way to explain why Madilyn and Layla both have crystals, since the original Guardians were split up and had to pass them down through their bloodlines.

So, why did I do this? Well, if you haven't noticed by now, there's an underlining theme present in this series: Family. Jowar's son is his enemy, Dirk is super close to his family and using them against him can have disastrous results, Professor Snyder and Drayden are father and son, even the Rangers themselves can be seen as being a sort of surrogate family for each other that Nikki gets pulled into. With this chapter, the question is ultimately raised, is family something you're born into, or is it something you can choose to be or not be a part of? In this case, Layla is suddenly presented with a situation where she can actually decide if Madilyn is her sister or not, if she even wants Madilyn to be her sister. And, when she's given this opportunity and has a moment to ask herself that, Layla came to the conclusion that neither her false memories nor her actual bloodline mattered. It's how she feels in her heart, and that's where Madilyn is and will forever be her sister.

Oh, and I guess I should talk a little about the new Megazord configuration. It's basically the Gaia Megazord swapping arms with the Dragoon Megazord, that also comes with a dark elemental power boost. Not much else needs to be said. Also, for the next couple of chapters, Drayden is trying to sort things out on his own and doesn't wanna see the others out of guilt, but he'll send his Zords to help the team if and when they need the extra firepower.

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, Walker returns with even more powerful Blots than the Venom Blots. But where did they come from, and can the Rangers defeat them? Ja né!


End file.
